Six Ways To Sell More Apples

Promote apples throughout the year, not just when leaves start changing.

There’s more than one way to sell an apple. This season, retailers may need all of them.

Apples are a major contributor to produce department sales. In 2025, the category ranked as the third most popular fruit behind berries and grapes.

Still, dollar sales were down 2.4%, according to the U.S. Produce Retail Point of Sales Results, published by the Washington, D.C.-headquartered International Fresh Produce Association in January 2026.

The opportunity ahead for retailers is to promote and merchandise strategically, kicking off with the new crop.

“We’ll do our new crop apple extravaganza in mid-October,” says Terry Esteve, produce and floral director at six Robért Fresh Markets and a Lakeview Grocery, headquartered in New Orleans, LA.

“Sales jump because we have apples customers may not have tried before on display and at an attractive price. “

PROMOTE THE CROP

The crop will dictate what makes the most sense for retailers to push. U.S. growers are forecast to harvest 263 million bushels of apples in the 2026-27 season, down 7% from last year and 3% below the five-year average, according to the Falls Church, VA-headquartered U.S. Apple Association’s 2026 Industry Outlook Report, released Aug. 21.

“The story this season really varies by region,” according to Chris Gerlach, USApple vice president and author of the report.

West Coast availability is shaping up well, with Washington, the nation’s top producer, forecast at 176 million bushels, down overall only 2% in volume.

“We anticipate our volume to increase by approximately 10%, driven by continued growth across our apple program,” says Rose Vejvoda, sustainability and communications manager at CMI Orchards, in Wenatchee, WA. “This means supplies are expected to remain ample to support retail promotions.”

Brianna Shales, marketing director at Stemilt Growers, also in Wenatchee, notes there will be varieties, like Cosmic Crisp and Honeycrisp, with larger supply than last year that will need promotions. “The good news for retailers is that these two apples have strong momentum, and they will be category boosters.”

Michigan’s apple crop is nearly equal to last year’s, at around 25 million bushels, ranking the state No. 3 in production.

“One of the biggest differences season over season is fruit size, with apples sizing larger this year,” says Trish Taylor, marketing manager for Riveridge Produce Marketing Inc., in Sparta, MI.

A good example is larger tray-pack Honeycrisp apples that look more promotable than limiting programs to 72s, 80s and 88s, where demand is already strong, according to Chuck Yow, business development and sales at North Bay Produce, in Traverse City, MI.

On the East Coast, New York, the nation’s No. 2 apple producer at 32 million bushels, will have 10% less volume, while Pennsylvania and Virginia collectively are usually less than 7 million, are down 58% and 48%, respectively.

“A drought left 10% to 15% of last year’s fruit undersized for market. This year, apples are running two to three sizes larger,” says Austin Fowler, chief executive officer and co-owner of Fowler Farms, in Wolcott, NY.

Pivoting with the crop, says Shales, “is where opportunities translate to dollars in produce.”

CURATE A DISPLAY

Apples have long been a pile-it-high category. Going big can be good. However, more apple varieties, higher costs, and shrink make deciding what gets the space increasingly important.

“When shrink is a big deal for a retailer, displays don’t become big deals,” says Jason Kazmirski, retail specialist at Charlie’s Produce, in Seattle, WA, which supplies several independent retailers such as Metropolitan Market and larger chains such as Fred Meyer and Sprouts.

During Robért Market’s fall event, they’ll put 14 to 18 varieties on sale, says Esteve. “Then we’ll take the biggest movers like Honeycrisp, which is our No. 1 seller, Pink Lady, second, and Cosmic Crisp, third, and build additional displays of these varieties, plus tie in apple cider.”

Build displays on best-practice merchandising.

“Apples should look abundant, fresh and colorful,” says Kristi Harris, brand manager for Honeybear Marketing LLC, Eden Prairie, MN.

Display bins in secondary, high-traffic locations remain an effective way to merchandise apples, according to Shales. “We’ve seen a bit of a resurgence around these, especially for calling out specialty items.”

Retailers have reported double-digit sales lifts when apples are cross-merchandised with caramel dips during seasonal promotions, according to the IFPA Consumer Tracker 2026, cited in the IFPA Global Intelligence Engine.

“Secondary display areas have generated 15-20% increases in apple sales during promotional periods.”

— Julieta Castillo, Superfresh Growers, Yakima, WA

“Secondary display areas, such as the deli and cheese, have also generated 15-20% increases in apple sales during promotional periods,” says Julieta Castillo, marketing coordinator for Superfresh Growers, in Yakima, WA. “These results reinforce the value of taking apples beyond the traditional produce display and merchandising them around how consumers actually eat and shop.”

PACK IT RIGHT

This season’s larger fruit in some growing regions opens opportunities for bigger packs.

“One is promoting 5-pound bags instead of 3-pound bags for certain varieties that are sizing larger, such as Fuji, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious and Jonagold,” says North Bay Produce’s Yow.

At the same time, smaller bags can make the price of entry easier for shoppers.

“A lot of retailers are selling the 2-pound bag and seeing success with it because consumers go through it a little faster and come back again to purchase more,” says Charlie’s Produce’s Kazmirski. “But three pounds is still in the same ballpark.”

Overall, bagged apples continue to gain momentum, with dollar sales up 13% and volume sales up 7%, while bulk apples are trending down 2% in dollars and 3.5% in volume, according to Circana data for the 52 weeks ending Aug. 9, 2026, as shared by Superfresh Growers.

“That doesn’t mean bulk is going away. The strongest apple programs balance both, using bulk to showcase varieties and give consumers choice,” says Castillo. “At the same time, packaged options provide convenience, value, and an easy grab-and-go solution.”

HELP SHOPPERS CHOOSE

As apple varieties with different flavors and textures have multiplied, telling them apart by sight hasn’t gotten any easier, especially among red-skinned varieties.

“Put five different apples in a bag and ask the average consumer to identify each one, and I don’t know that they could,” says Kazmirski.

Kowalski’s Market, Woodbury, MN, uses signage to tell customers what each variety is best for — whether it’s baking, snacking or pies, and to give them a sense of the apple’s flavor profile, says Max Maddaus, director of perishable operations and produce director at Kowalski’s, an 11-store chain.

“It’s important to have those educational pieces there so customers know what they’re getting.”

Many growers offer programs that can help retailers deliver this consumer education.

For example, CMI Orchards Flavogram uses color-coded bin cards, posters, and digital assets to compare varieties by flavor, aroma, and texture, helping shoppers match unfamiliar apples to ones they already know.

Apple Crush takes a dating-app approach, connecting colorful in-store bins, POS signage, and displays via QR codes to a digital experience where shoppers answer questions about taste, texture, and use to find their “perfect apple match.“

“The Flavogram remains a useful tool for simplifying the shopping experience by helping consumers identify apples that match their preferred flavor profile,” says CMI’s Vejvoda. “Apple Crush continues to deliver strong results by helping younger consumers discover apples in a fun, interactive way. “

KEEP IT FRESH

Keeping the apple department fresh doesn’t necessarily mean carrying more varieties. Sometimes it means taking one out, bringing another in, and giving a short-season apple its moment in the spotlight.

“We get rid of what’s not working,” says Maddaus. “There are some old-school apple varieties, like Red Delicious and Golden Delicious, that we don’t carry anymore because there just aren’t enough consumers looking for them. At the end of the day, there are so many significantly better-eating apples available to customers.”

Gala remains the largest-volume U.S. apple at 16% of production, according to the USApple 2026 Industry Outlook Report, followed by Red Delicious (12%), Granny Smith (11%), Honeycrisp (10%), other varieties (9%), and Fuji (9%). Over the past five years, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Cosmic Crisp and Pink Lady/Cripps Pink have increased production, while Gala, Red Delicious and Fuji have declined.

“We already have customers asking when the Ambrosias will be back in,” says Robért Market’s Esteve.

One example of what’s new is Fowler Farms’ Sweet Maia, an early-season, crunchy, flavorful apple timed to sell through before later varieties arrive. Ludacrisp follows in November, bringing a sweet-tart flavor and a distinctive name that plays off rapper Ludacris and is designed to catch younger consumers’ attention. The Midwest Apple Improvement Association in Oberlin, OH, developed both varieties, along with others such as EverCrisp.

“We sold out of both last year,” says Fowler.

SELL THE OCCASION

Apples can drive sales of fruit and other basket items year-round.

“In the fall, we do a lot of cross-merchandising with our bakery department, putting apple pies, apple butter, apple bread and apple crisp into our produce displays. We even have a Honeycrisp apple pie that always goes into our Honeycrisp display. It works really well and captures incremental sales,” says Maddaus.

“I love in-and-outs, meaning those fun apple varieties that show up for a short time and then they’re gone. It adds another layer of excitement to the category.”

— Max Maddaus, Kowalski’s Markets, Woodbury, MN

Unique seasonal merchandising is another effective way to drive dollars. For example, CMI is tapping into America 250 celebrations, including Veterans Day initiatives that align with new-crop availability and harvest completion, says Vejvoda. “Our American Dream program was created to honor our active military, veterans, and their families. We’ll be celebrating this milestone year in an even bigger way through retail promotions and consumer engagement opportunities.”

Healthy snacking, holiday baking, charcuterie and entertaining, and wellness goals are all occasions ripe to promote apples.

“Apples have a great story to tell, with so many consumers thinking about GLP-1s, fiber, and reducing the amount of processed food in their diets. They’re naturally sweet, hydrating, and a good source of fiber, all in a convenient grab-and-go package,” says Riveridge’s Taylor.

Spring also provides opportunities to refresh the category with seasonal messaging. FirstFruits, for example, has a Taste of Luck, a seasonal program built around Granny Smith and Opal, with St. Patrick’s Day recipes and merchandising.

“The bigger takeaway,” says Chuck Zeutenhorst, president of sales and marketing for the Prescott, WA-based company, “is that apples should have a reason to be promoted throughout the year, not just when leaves start changing.”