Almonds Gain Ground in Produce

The popular snacking and health nut helps retailers increase produce aisle sales.

A versatile, healthy nut popular in snack foods, almonds sell well, and retailers can sell more of them through effective merchandising.

Historically, whole raw almonds in the produce department were primarily marketed as a baking ingredient. Today, however, continued consumer focus on healthier eating, combined with greater awareness of almonds’ nutritional benefits, have expanded the nut’s role, transcending baking.

“Consumers are seeking out almonds for several reasons: Almonds are considered a nutrient-dense ‘superfood’ packed with protein, healthy fats, fiber, and vitamin E, which support heart health and weight management,” says Katharine Hawkins, director of marketing and e-commerce for Good Sense Foods, a New Hope, MN, snack manufacturer and nut distributor. “Almonds can and should be promoted throughout the year as a nutrient-dense, everyday snack item. Sliced almonds can be additionally promoted as a salad topper.”

“Almonds are now widely embraced as a convenient, nutrient-dense, between-meal snack, making them an ideal item for everyday merchandising and promotion within produce.”
— Katharine Hawkins, Good Sense Foods, New Hope, MN

While pistachios are the biggest grab-and-go nut item sold by Seattle, WA-based wholesale produce distributor Charlie’s Produce, which services the western U.S., almonds are the No. 2 selling nut and sell well, says Jason Kazmirski, retail specialist.

“We’re selling more and more almonds,” he says. “We are trying to get almonds in there with pistachio and peanut displays. Price-pointwise, almonds are definitely two or three dollars cheaper than pistachios, so people are looking to grab them, where you’re going to have better value.

“If they keep adding different flavors, you’ll see that category grow. The shoppers are very receptive.”

Almonds remain an important nut offering in the dry fruit and nuts category, says Marc Goldman, produce director for Morton Williams Supermarkets, a metropolitan New York chain based in Bronx, NY. “Almonds are one of the leading items in that category. They’re very healthy and, for that reason, they’re in demand. It’s a major part of a big category.”

KEY PRODUCE OFFERING

Almonds are a vital part of retail produce department offerings, says Stephanie Blackwell, owner of Aurora Products, an Orange, CT-based nut processor, packager and distributor.

“No plan-o-gram in a supermarket is complete without offering almonds,” she says. This includes raw, salted, roasted no salt, blanched, slivered, sliced and flavored.

Almonds shouldn’t be limited to nut displays. They should be marketed in other places as well.

“Almonds perform best when merchandised beyond the traditional nut set and positioned as a multi-use, high-protein, better-for-you staple,” says Hawkins.

The most effective strategy is to cross-merchandise almonds across different departments, with core placement in the snack aisle, strong cross-merchandising in produce near salads and toppings, secondary displays and endcaps, seasonal or breakfast placements near yogurt and baking ingredients and premium snacking placement in the wine, cheese and charcuterie section, she says.

“Offering a variety of packaging formats and sizes provides the consumer with options and clear benefit callouts, like protein, plant-based, clean ingredients, and further drives shopper conversion,” Hawkins says.

Though some supermarkets display almond packages in small spaces alongside other nuts, Morton Williams erects large dry fruit and nut displays, with almonds being a big part of the exhibits. The chain carries many almond varieties, including roasted and not roasted, salted and unsalted, as well as smoked and glazed.

“While people are looking for almonds, they’re looking at all the variety I have in my display, and hopefully that entices them to pick up something else,” says Goldman.

GO BIG

Larger displays are recommended. “Make sure you have all the varieties and display them prominently in your section,” says Goldman. “Bigger displays work; the more variety, the better. We do some cross-merchandising for the holidays, but, in general, the large display that we have speaks for itself.”

The retailers Charlie’s Produce work with invest in significant merchandising support to promote almonds.

“My advice on merchandising is to not give up on it,” says Kaz­mirski. “Some folks will do it for a couple weeks and then just keep moving it around until they find where the customers’ eyes are, what they’re looking at, and maybe, they might find it on the grocery aisle, but I would always say keep putting it front and center, and keep putting signs on there about the nutrition value, and it should take care of itself.

“You have to be consistent, because if it’s collecting dust, get it out of there and put it somewhere.”
With consumer interest in healthy foods, almonds remain a critical part of any retailer’s nut program. Almonds are the No. 1 healthiest nut, the top nut in new product introductions and lead in tree nut per-capita consumption, according to data from the Almond Board of California, Modesto, CA.

“The Almond Board continues to push healthier eating, and California almonds became a go-to food in the healthy snacking movement,” says Clarice Turner, the board’s president and chief executive officer. “We’re still the No. 1 nut that is included in new product formulations, more than 9,000 of them last year, to be exact.”

PROMOTE MORE

For Martin Hein, owner and farm manager of Hein Ranch Co., Visalia, CA, almonds make a great, convenient, healthy snack food perfect for time-challenged consumers. He wishes retailers would erect larger displays.

“We need to get out there and promote almonds in places like Chicago, New York and Kansas City, where we have a consumer who probably enjoys California almonds we may take more for granted,” says Hein. “We, as an industry, need to do more hands-on and handouts, open up some almonds and show consumers the variety.”

“We, as an industry, need to do more hands-on and handouts, open up some almonds and show
consumers the variety.”
— Martin Hein, Hein Ranch Co., Visalia, CA

Packaging with QR codes highlighting California’s almond growers with almond stories about who produced the crop could help increase sales, says Don Cameron, vice president and general manager of Terranova Ranch in Helm, CA.

“California almonds are nutritious, healthy and sustainably produced by family farmers throughout the state,” he says. “A 30-second video, the connection it would provide to the farm and farmer is important.”

Almonds play a key role in shoppers seeking nutritious foods.

“Not only are almonds important as a nutritious commodity as a stand-alone item, but they are also a large component in trail mixes, cereals and desserts,” says Aurora Products’ Blackwell. “People are looking for nutrient-dense superfoods, and almonds are one of them.”

“People are looking for nutrient-dense superfoods, and almonds are one of them.”
— Stephanie Blackwell, Aurora Products, Orange, CT

Almonds work well in grocery stores’ fresh departments.

“Produce is increasingly becoming a destination, not only for fresh foods, but also for clean and wholesome everyday snacks that support healthy lifestyles,” says Good Sense Foods’ Hawkins.

“Almonds, as a well-known and versatile nut, are now widely embraced as a convenient, nutrient-dense, between-meal snack, making them an ideal item for everyday merchandising and promotion within produce.”