Unlock the Magic of Melons
Grow Sales with this go-to Summer Fruit
The Season & Supply
Organic melons kick off their season in April/May from Mexico with a limited selection. As harvest moves north to California, two primary regions contribute: the desert offers fruit in June/July, while the Central Valley starts in early June and extends through the fall. The Northwest season begins in mid-July, peaks in early August, and concludes as the weather cools in early September. OGC wraps up the season with a limited offering from Mexico in October and November.
What Shoppers Seek: Classics & Varietals
Each melon variety has unique characteristics that get shoppers excited, especially during the warmer months. Delivering a consistent quality experience builds confidence and repeat business, and that means booming sales. Here’s what to look for:
Cantaloupe: Shoppers look for a straw-colored exterior, a clean pick from the stem and a deep golden-orange color inside. The ideal flavor is rich and sweet, almost pumpkin-y, with a dense, juicy texture.
Watermelon: Texture is as important as flavor. Customers love a crisp, juicy, refreshing and sweet melon. If it’s mushy, no amount of flavor will make up for it.
Green Honeydew and Hami: The key here is texture. The best fruit is mild in flavor but crisp and refreshing.
Crenshaw, Orange Honeydew and Sharlyn: These varieties should have a high sugar content, excellent flavor and softer textures.
Consistency is key. Cut and taste melons throughout the season to ensure you are stocking the best. Shoppers will pay a premium for organic melons and want them to be great every time. If they are, they’ll come back for more.
Maximize Melon Sales with Merchandising
Capturing attention with a big melon display can be a breeze, especially if you have extra space. Here are some tips:
Display Abundantly: Bins or tables are perfect for watermelons. Make sure your display looks plentiful, especially for cantaloupes and personal watermelons, which make great anchors for a melon set, surrounded by smaller displays of other unique and interesting varieties to drive impulse sales.
Keep It Fresh: Rotate often and make sure the volume on display is appropriate for what you’re selling daily. Watch for soft, moldy fruit and cull it out to maintain customer confidence in freshness.
Pricing Strategy: While margins vary throughout the season, remember that melons are a big purchase for customers. Keeping them at an affordable price point is an important factor.
Promotional Strategy: While having a good everyday price on melons will keep them rolling out the door, prepare your displays and pricing for peak sales opportunities around the Fourth of July and Labor Day holidays, as the temperatures rise. Melons are a go-to item for picnics, camping and cooling off!
Offering Cuts: Selling halves and quarters can boost sales and let customers see the quality inside. Always follow food safety regulations. Seeing a deep red, firm watermelon half is visually appealing and builds confidence that even a whole melon is going to taste great!
Optimal Sizes: Count matters. Know your shoppers and what fruit sizes and price points are relevant for their needs and strike the right balance. Examples:
For mini seedless watermelons, 8-9 count sizing is ideal, usually hitting the mark when it comes to price per nice-sized fruit. That said, deals often abound on larger or smaller fruit. Small personal watermelons (11 count) offer a value retail price point, and larger sizes (6-9 count) give more fruit.
For cantaloupes, 9/12 count is common and an ideal size for retail. Often case prices may be less on larger (6 count) or smaller (15 count) fruit. Mixed melons are typically larger, usually 4-9 count in the case. As with mini seedless watermelon, finding the right combination of size and price that speaks to your eater is key.
Boosting Sales
Sampling: Letting customers taste the fruit increases confidence to buy and sales. When setting up samples, be diligent about food safety rules for everyone’s sake. The more sampling that occurs, the more you can sell if it’s good to great eating fruit.
Signage: Taking time to sign your melon display builds excitement, educates and boosts sales. Check out OGC’s Melon Magic Toolkit for ready-to-use options.
By providing an excellent melon experience, you’ll keep customers coming back for more. Here’s to a successful melon season!