The 2025 Fall Produce Guide: Everything You Need to Maximize Seasonal Sales

Look for fall sales opportunities with apples, pears, potatoes, pumpkins, gourds, fresh pomegranates, beans, Brussels sprouts and onions.

Nowhere in the supermarket is a bountiful fall harvest portrayed better than in the produce department. There’s new crop apples, pears and potatoes, as well as seasonal pumpkins, gourds and fresh pomegranates. Add the holidays from Labor Day to Halloween and Thanksgiving and themes like back-to-school and tailgating, and fall is a register-ringing season.

How much? “We expect to see an 8-12% jump in sales during the fall, which encompasses so many seasonal promotions,” says Robert Schueller, director of public relations for Melissa’s Produce, in Vernon, CA.

We expect to see an 8-12% jump in sales during the fall, which encompasses so many seasonal promotions.

— Robert Schueller, Melissa’s Produce, Vernon, CA

Keep fall displays fresh by using produce to tell a story and gather input to come up with themes, recommends Brian Dey, retail and merchandising innovation manager at Four Seasons Produce in Ephrata, PA.

“Talk with everyone from your shipper and wholesaler to your in-store team. No one person has all the ideas, and collaboration is a good way for everyone to feel they’ve contributed to a successful promotion,” Dey advises. “In general, keep displays fresh, clean and fun. If hosting a display contest, consider changing the criteria, creative flair or prizes. Everyone likes to win something.”

BACK TO SCHOOL

“Back-to-school season is a key time when families look for healthy, packable snack options, and apples fit perfectly,” says Mathew Blair, produce category business manager for Northeast Shared Services, based in Schenectady, NY, which supports the retail operations of Price Chopper, Market 32 and Tops Friendly Markets.

Stemilt Growers positions its Rave apple as the back-to-school apple because it harvests in early August, says Brianna Shales, marketing director for the Wenatchee, WA, apple grower, and Starkrimson and Bartlett are two pear varieties available in August.

“We’re encouraging a lot of Little Snapper back-to-school ads on those two varieties, as well as apples harvested from mid-August to mid-September, such as Gala,” Shales says. “Retailers can plan an early ad campaign around Gala apples, alongside red pears and Bartlett pears.”

Apples are one ingredient in Reichel Food’s Dippin’ Stix, single-serve produce snacks, with peak promotional times aligning with the back-to-school season.

“To drive sales, we recommend placing Dippin’ Stix and our PRO2snax near lunchbox items, grab-and-go coolers, or produce endcaps,” says Kathy Puckett, vice president of sales and business development for the Rochester, MN-based company. “Use messaging like ‘Lunchbox Favorites,’ or ‘Snack Smarter This Season.’”

Each fall, the Healthy Family Project, a nonprofit cause marketing campaign, collaborates with retailers to showcase a variety of produce that complements back-to-school routines and cooler weather.

The annual Back to School program is “a cornerstone campaign,” says Amanda Keefer, senior director of marketing and communications for the Reidsville, GA-based initiative, “featuring partners like Bee Sweet Citrus mandarins, Jazz apples, Consalo Family Farms blueberries, Nature Fresh Farms Lil’ Chills mini cucumbers, Yo Quiero! guacamole minis, Del Monte fruit cups, and Sunset Sprinkles tomatoes.”

The Healthy Family Project team, including registered dietitians, creates blog posts, recipe videos, and social content around these items.

LABOR DAY

This holiday, which falls on Sept. 1 this year, sits at a produce crossroads between summer and fall.
“Labor Day weekend is a great opportunity for increased summer fruit, berry, and melon sales,” says Jeff Salchenberg, produce program and category manager at New Seasons Market, a 21-store chain based in Portland, OR. “Melons, peaches, berries, and corn are the big categories for us for that holiday. Having multiple bins of both large and mini seedless watermelons in front of the stores is a great way to show off the season.”

On the East Coast, Labor Day kicks off fall-themed merchandising, says Northeast Shared Services’ Blair, “giving apples a strong early push as part of ‘local harvest’ promotions.”

SPORTS-GATING SEASON

Several sporting seasons kick off during the fall harvest. College football commences in late August/early September, the National Football League (NFL) starts in early September, and the National Basketball Association (NBA) begins in mid-October.

“Feature sweet potatoes, as sweet potato fries, wedges, or chips as healthy game-day snacks,” says Jeremy Fookes, director of sales for A.V. Thomas Produce, in Atwater, CA. “From September through November, California sweet potatoes are in peak availability.”

SnapDragon apples are the official apple of the Buffalo Bills, an NFL team based in Buffalo, NY. Last fall, Crunch Time Apple Growers, the Lockport, NY-based marketer of SnapDragon and RubyFrost varieties, partnered with Progressive International and utilized Progressive’s 16-slice apple slicer in an in-store demonstration, which resulted in increased sales of apples and slicers.

“Retailers can prominently display our bright green, eye-catching packaging alongside tailgate displays to take part in this promotional effort,” says Jessica Wells, executive director.

NATIONAL APPLE MONTH

October’s National Apple Month is a time when retailers create larger apple displays and position them at the front of the department.

“One of the most successful displays we’ve seen was the opposite of what you may think,” says Wells. “A retailer, rather than placing apples of different varieties side by side, broke up the displays by placing products that pair well with apples between the varieties. For example, they put peanut butter, caramel, and apple-related kitchen tools, such as slicers or corers, between each variety of apples. This helped to create a visual break between the apple varieties, making the selection less overwhelming, while also cross-promoting multiple products.”

Wells adds that Crunch Time has recently redesigned its display bins to include a smaller, Euro-sized offering, allowing for a visual display that takes up less floor space in the produce department.

“We run aggressive ads on apples throughout the season,” says Blair. “You will see multiple cover ads featuring our 3-pound New York bags as a buy-one, get-one (BOGO) promotion, and we pair those with six-pack apple cider doughnuts as well.”

Multi-variety ads are the way to set new levels of sales on apples in the fall, says Stemilt’s Shales. “It’s easy to promote the top-selling apples, but that can hurt other aspects of the category, especially the quality and freshness that consumers would experience. Promoting multiple varieties at a time, while also helping educate shoppers about, for example, why you’d use a Granny Smith in a pie, but maybe eat a Honeycrisp fresh out of hand, are great opportunities to help sell the whole category at once.”

HALLOWEEN

“Halloween provides great opportunities for fun, kid-friendly displays, especially with small varieties like bagged snack apples or mini packs,” says Blair of Northeast Shared Services. “We usually will run a tote apple ad and tie in apple cider, a natural for Halloween.”

New Caramel Apple Pops, a miniature caramel apple exclusive to Tastee Apple Inc., in Newcomerstown, OH, have been a hit with consumers, according to Chad Hackenbracht, president. “We are packaging these into a two-pack this season to offer a lower-priced ring that retailers have been looking for.”

Hackenbracht suggests displaying the company’s caramel and chocolate-coated apple products off refrigeration in high-traffic areas.

Halloween is all about jack-o’-lanterns and decorative gourds at New Seasons Market.

“Jack-o’-lanterns, specialty pumpkins, and decorative gourds are the focus for this holiday,” says Salchenberg. “The last five years have seen a huge jump in specialty pumpkin sales. Varieties like knucklehead, white, popcorn, and variegated are very popular with our customers. We go big with our pumpkin patches to show off the cool varieties and draw customers in.”

Quite a few retail customers have added the Candy Corn pumpkin to their fall mix, according to Sarah Frey-Talley, chief executive officer of Frey Farms, in Keenes, IL.

“Known for its fiery colors and long shelf life, the Candy Corn grows into a very consistent size of approximately 10-14 pounds,” Frey-Talley says. “Our Autumn Couleur and Heirloom Stacker varieties continue to grow year after year. They’re known for the unique colors and textures to decorate, but the fun fact is, most are edible.”

Promoting freaky-looking tropical fruits is the latest Halloween produce trend, as this is one of the most creative and playful holidays of the year, according to Melissa’s Produce’s Schueller.

He says the top-performing tropicals for a Freaky Fruits promotion include dragon fruit, buddha’s hand, aloe vera, pomegranates, rambutan, quince, goldenberries, cherimoya, kiwano melon, star fruit, blood oranges, finger limes and passion fruit.

NATIONAL POMEGRANATE MONTH

Fresh pomegranate season in California kicks off at the end of October, and National Pomegranate Month is celebrated in November.

“We see a strong resurgence in sales for our pomegranate arils and fresh pomegranates, especially tied to the seasonal holidays,” says Jennifer Hirano, vice president of marketing for POM Wonderful, a brand of The Wonderful Company, in Los Angeles, CA.

“Pomegranates are an impulse purchase,” Hirano adds. “Therefore, leveraging merchandising and having a strong display section is a great way to optimize sales and let consumers know that the fresh pomegranate season has started.”

THANKSGIVING

Thanksgiving, Nov. 27, 2025, is big for all the traditional staples: Brussels sprouts, green beans, celery, potatoes and onions, says New Seasons Market’s Salchenberg. “Other than the main staples, we go big with local chanterelle mushrooms, as well as new crop stem and leaf satsumas for Thanksgiving.”

“Connect asparagus, Brussels sprouts, and green onions with seasonal themes like Thanksgiving side dishes by featuring quick, easy-to-prepare recipes to inspire shoppers and highlight how these items fit seamlessly into every day and holiday meals,” says Manuel Ochoa, marketing and purchasing coordinator for Fort Lauderdale, FL-based Altar Produce, which is working to extend the Brussels sprouts season to achieve year-round supply and retail customers’ ability to plan promotions beyond the traditional fall window.

Connect asparagus, Brussels sprouts, and green onions with seasonal themes like Thanksgiving side dishes by featuring quick, easy-to-prepare recipes to inspire shoppers and highlight how these items fit seamlessly into every day and holiday meals.

— Manuel Ochoa, Altar Produce, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Thanksgiving is the top promotional holiday for green beans. Promotions tied to this holiday are seeing strong movement and high shopper engagement, according to Ivonne Lugo, in sales and marketing at SL Produce, headquartered in Adolfo Ruiz Cortinez, Sinaloa, Mexico, with export and distribution facilities for its Tenderland-brand green beans in Nogales, AZ, and McAllen, TX.

“To sell more, launch a ‘Fresh for the Feast’ campaign during November with themed recipe cards or QR codes linked to holiday cooking ideas. Or offer a ‘Build Your Own Side Dish’ station featuring green beans alongside other fall vegetables like Brussels sprouts and butternut squash,” says Lugo.

Gumz Farms, the largest onion and red and yellow potato grower in the Midwest, offers peak availability on both from mid-October through mid-December, says Jared Gutierrez, director of sales, marketing, and business development for the Endeavor, WI-based grower. For Thanksgiving promotions, Gutierrez recommends, “offer 3- to 5-pound packaging on both potatoes and onions.”

Retailers should display North Carolina sweet potatoes at the front of the store, including in bins with a QR code linking to recipes, and feature signage with recipes and nutrition information, according to Michelle Grainger, executive director of the North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission, in Benson, NC.

“Cross-merchandising strategies include positioning them with other root vegetables, such as onions and carrots,” she says.

Stokes Purple Sweet Potatoes, sold by Frieda’s Branded Produce, remain a top performer from September through November, with strong volume and a reliable supply, says Alex Jackson, vice president of sales and procurement for the Los Alamitos, CA-based company.

“Knowing retailers need to dedicate significant floor space to orange, red, and white varieties, our merchandising bin shipper, which features a scannable recipe QR code and simple usage ideas, creates the additional merchandising space needed to highlight this variety and creates practical inspiration for how consumers can elevate their Thanksgiving meal,” she says.