With Honeycrisp supplies tightening, the Washington grower urges retailers to promote Granny Smith’s tart crunch and recipe versatility to sustain apple sales through the summer
With summer merchandising just weeks away, Wenatchee-based Stemilt Growers is turning the spotlight on Granny Smith apples to keep the category vibrant while supplies of Honeycrisp and many organic lines tighten.
The grower-shipper says retailers can lean on the tart green variety through aggressive promotions and cross-department displays to maintain shopper interest and protect produce dollars throughout the June-to-August selling window.
Granny Smith already occupies a comfortable No. 3 position among apple varieties in the United States, capturing a steady 11–12 percent share of category sales from June 1 to August 31, 2024, according to Nielsen retail scan data trailing only Honeycrisp and Gala during that period.
Stemilt believes that consistent performance, coupled with broad consumer awareness of the variety’s tart crunch, gives produce departments a proven traffic driver when other premium apples run short.
“Granny Smith apples hold a unique and consistent position in the category all year long, but they’re especially valuable during the summer months. Shoppers are looking for fresh, flavorful, and functional produce during the summer. Granny Smith’s tight, tart bite and recipe versatility make it a natural fit for barbecues, picnics and grab-and-go snacking while families travel.”
Brianna Shales, Marketing Director at Stemilt
Regional performance supports her view.
Stemilt’s analysis shows Granny Smith leading category volume and dollar sales in the South, powered by Texas retailers; delivering solid growth potential in the Northeast and Midwest; and even ranking fourth in the West while still accounting for 12.6 percent of apple volume there.
Those numbers give merchandisers confidence to build large, visually compelling displays no matter the market.
Granny Smith’s sales are almost evenly split between bulk and packaged fruit, offering flexibility at store level.
Stemilt encourages merchants to emphasize bulk piles for volume while supplementing with high-velocity packaged offerings such as its kid-friendly Lil Snappers® three-pound bag and popular five-pound value bags that cater to summer road trips, parties and budget-minded shoppers.
The marketing team is tying Granny Smith into the season’s calendar, pointing to the variety’s crisp acidity and compatibility with spicy or citrus accents.
From Cinco de Mayo fruit salsas and Tajín-rimmed mocktails to July Fourth salads and charcuterie boards, Stemilt sees ample storytelling angles that weave apples into warm-weather meals rather than relegating them to the baking aisle.
“Cinco de Mayo is a perfect time to showcase Granny Smith,” added Shales. “It’s amazing with Tajín, works great in fresh salsas, and even adds a refreshing twist to mocktails and summer drinks. These pairings open up unique merchandising angles that tie apples directly into the season.”
To translate that culinary versatility into rings at the register, Stemilt outlines several tactics: build oversized, color-blocked bulk tables supported by signage that highlights apple-centric summer recipes; cross-merchandise Granny Smith with citrus, Tajín seasoning, cheeses or beverage mixers; position Lil Snappers near deli or snack cases for grab-and-go convenience; and bundle the tart green apple with sweeter varieties to satisfy diverse household tastes, especially in Midwestern stores where flavor preferences vary widely.
The apple category tends to shrink in size in the summer with seasonal items taking centerstage, but data shows that continued promotions are key to category health.
Stemilt expects retailers who adopt the strategy to sustain unit velocity and preserve apple shelf space even as stone fruit, melons and berries crowd the produce department.
