Five Ways to Sell More Walnuts

Sales grow as health, convenience, and snacking trends drive demand.

Health and wellness, interest in minimally processed foods, and demand for convenient snacking are helping drive walnut sales. As consumers look for foods that deliver nutrition along with everyday benefits, walnuts stand apart as the only nut that is a significant source of plant-based omega-3 ALA, while also providing protein, fiber, and healthy fats, according to the California Walnut Board & Commission (CWB&C), in Folsom, CA.

“Promoting walnuts in the produce department is good for many reasons, such as being a very healthy item, and you can cross merchandise them with many items, like dates, berries, apples, salads, etc.,” says Ryan Sanchez, sales manager for produce at the Albertsons Companies, in Boise, ID.

Here are five ways to boost walnut sales:

1. STOCK BEST SELLERS

In-shell walnuts are the best-selling produce department product, according to Rachel Ercole, marketing director, Diamond Foods, Stockton, CA, which sells its walnuts under the Diamond of California brand. “Retailers are seeing growing demand for larger bag sizes, such as the 2-pound bag, a signal that consumers are incorporating walnuts into a wider variety of uses and occasions.”

Shelled walnuts are also a top register-ringer for the Mariani Nut Co., in Winters, CA, according to Kristen Holden, director of marketing. “We pioneered walnuts in produce 15 years ago, back when retail buyers were still calling it a ‘baking nut.’ It makes sense to have them in produce.”

From a packer/distributor perspective, “our largest sales for consumption are the pure walnuts,” says Stephanie Blackwell, founder and chief executive officer of Aurora Products in Orange, CT. “However, we purchase 10 times as many walnut halves and pieces as we do chopped walnuts. For us, it’s a 50-50 split between all-natural and organic walnuts.”

Walnut halves and pieces are the top-selling forms of walnuts in produce, accounting for the bulk of Truly Good Foods’ sales in Charlotte, NC. “We are a complete snack program provider, so our walnuts are usually displayed as part of a wide assortment of nuts, trail mixes, dried fruits, and other snacks, basically a one-stop shop for baking and snacking needs,” says Mike DeCramer, national account executive for retail.

2. TRY WHAT’S NEW

Flavored walnuts are currently the biggest focus for product innovation.

“For bulk and prepack options, we are developing a variety of flavored walnut options to increase their appeal as a snacking nut and not just for meal prep or baking,” says DeCramer.

The newest addition to the Fruit & Nut line for the Sugar Foods Corporation, in New York, NY, is its Fresh Gourmet-brand Walnut Apple topping. “It combines honey-roasted walnut pieces with dried apple pieces and is ideal for topping salads,” says Samantha McCaul, senior marketing manager.

In terms of flavor, emerging profiles, such as hot honey, tikka masala, blood orange, marion berry, and fig, demonstrate walnuts’ versatility across sweet and savory products, according to Robert Verloop, the CWB&C’s executive director and chief executive officer.

3. BOOST VISIBILITY, BOOST SALES

Bulk displays of nuts, such as walnuts, to purchase by the pound were once the norm, says Jason Kazmirski, retail specialist at Charlie’s Produce, in Seattle, WA. “Now, most of our retailers have a square block of display space on top of the tables with all packaged products. The nuts are more visible this way.”

The CWB&C offers retailers display tools, such as header cards, shelf signs, and recipe cards, that feature the American Heart Association’s Heart-Check.

4. CREATE MEAL & SNACK CONNECTIONS

Featuring walnuts with fresh produce can boost basket size, increase engagement, and inspire consumers to seek out California walnuts as part of their regular produce purchases, says Verloop. “In fact, research shows that 76% of shoppers are more likely to purchase walnuts when displayed alongside fresh fruits and vegetables.”

For seasonal cross-merchandising, Diamond’s Ercole adds, “Q2 and Q3 are strong for salad- and grain-bowl focused displays pairing shelled walnuts with lettuce, arugula, and grain bowl ingredients. Q4 lends itself to in-shell nuts and harvest-inspired pairings.”

5. PROMOTE YEAR-ROUND

There has been greater emphasis on encouraging retailers to feature walnuts year round, including outside traditional holiday periods. “Peak promotional windows, such as summer snacking, back to school, and during Heart Month in February, are supported with campaign ideas, creative assets, and messaging that keep walnuts relevant throughout the year,” says Verloop.