STEMILT REVOLUTIONIZING PEAR EXPERIENCE FOR CONSUMERS

A multi-pronged approach brings flavor and consistency back to pears.

Looking toward the 2025 pear season kick-off, Stemilt is setting a new standard for the pear category with a deep commitment to flavor and building on innovation throughout the supply chain. Pear sales have been on the decline as households have switched to other soft fruits, according to Stemilt’s marketing director, Brianna Shales. “The main opportunity for renewed pear sales is to deliver a flavor-first experience that focuses on consistency with the ripeness and texture of the fruit to meet consumer expectations,” she says.

The pear category has been long overdue for innovation in flavor, quality and new varieties, so Stemilt is employing a multi-pronged approach to reignite pear production and post-harvest and bring consumers back to the category. “We’ve made significant investments in a brand new pear packing line and plantings of Stemilt’s new exclusive pear variety called Happi Pear®,” says Shales. “Our goal is to provide consumers with an elevated and consistent pear-eating experience.”

Getting a pear to a perfectly ripe, ready-to-eat stage is Stemilt’s top priority. “Our science-based ripening program, RipeRite™, helps deliver pears at consistent pressures so they can be enjoyed just days after purchase,” says Shales. “To further support ripened fruit, we added a new pear packing line using AI technology — a rarity in the pear world. Since launching in August 2024, it’s already improved the quality and eating experience. Flavor is everything for pears. That first bite tells us if we did our job and whether the shopper will buy again.”

Stemilt’s RipeRite™ program ensures pears ripen within three days at an ambient temperature and soon after purchase, which is the sweet spot for the best pear-eating experience. “To achieve this, select varieties of packed pears are conditioned in ripening rooms with warm air and ethylene gas, a natural compound that speeds up ripening,” says Shales. “Once pears reach optimal firmness, they are cooled and stored in cold rooms until shipped in refrigerated trucks. At room temperature, ripening resumes, so pears are ready to enjoy within days of purchase.”

The company’s Unitec optical pear line uses AI and gentle handling to protect the fruit’s delicate skin. “Pears travel on soft blue belts, are aligned in fruit-shaped cups, and are scanned top and bottom by sizing machines to assess quality, size, and weight before being packed,” says Shales. “Automated bagging boosts efficiency and is meeting demand for bagged pears such as Lil Snappers®. Once packed, pears move directly to our Fresh Cube distribution center, where they stay fresh and cold until shipping.”

The company is gearing up for a good-sized crop of pears this season compared to last year. Bartlett and Starkrimson pear varieties kick off the fall season and offer great early bagged pear promo opportunities, perfect for back-to-school tie-ins explains Shales. “Our signature Happi Pear® returns at the start of fall for a short season, bringing excitement and innovation to the category and helping drive sales as a new branded variety,” she says.

Winter pears, Bosc, d’Anjou, and Concorde, are promotable from October on. “December is prime time for pear promotions with World Pear Day and National Pear Month drawing attention,” says Shales. “Organics are another great opportunity for the 2025 season, and Stemilt leads in growing pears organically. We have paper packaging to support sales of larger organic pears as a new merchandising vehicle that ensures retailers get the organic ring. We are eager to work with retailers to promote organic pears this year.”

Pears can become a household staple again if we improve the consumer eating experience, asserts Shales. “We want flavor and quality to be the reason consumers find pears are worth coming back to,” she says. “ Stemilt has a number of programs to support pears, including Lil Snappers®, Artisan Organics®, EZ Band (sustainable paper packaging for organics), and merchandising options, including signage and display bins. Stemilt pears are packed under the Rushing Rivers® brand, which comes straight from some of the very best locales in the Wenatchee and Entiat River valleys in Washington. This is a story worth sharing with shoppers at the store level.”