Zespri SunGold Kiwifruit Launches Season with First Shipment Arriving Early May

    NEWPORT BEACH, CA, May 16, 2022 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Zespri's first-ever charter vessel to the U.S. arrived in the Port of Los Angeles on May 9 delivering SunGold Kiwifruit to meet growing consumer demand. This shipment kicks-off another anticipated season as more and more consumers look for delicious and nutritious options to add to their basket. Zespri's integrated consumer campaign is designed to communicate the benefits of SunGold and drive traffic to retailers carrying the #1 selling kiwi brand.

"Our SunGold Kiwifruit continues to be on-trend and is driving the category," explains Susan Noritake, Zespri's head of sales for the North American market. "Zespri is the #1 fastest growing fruit in the fruit bowl, outpacing total fruit by 12 points. SunGold Kiwi accounts for 63% of the category's growth.* We have a lot of marketing resources available for retailers, including customized programs and free shipper displays, to help them capitalize on the increasing demand."

In an effort to drive brand awareness and purchases, Zespri's "Go Sweet. Be Bold" consumer campaign includes digital media, social media, and influencer marketing along with mass sampling efforts at major events. The campaign encourages shoppers to break from the mundane and shake up the contents of their fruit bowl with Zespri's sweet and refreshing SunGold Kiwifruit. Zespri wants to help health-conscious consumers ignite their zest for life and make the most of every day. Zespri is using high-reach digital channels including Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube. And to entice shoppers to buy in-store, Zespri's new shipper displays feature bright, eye-catching graphics highlighting the sweet taste and nutrition messages from the integrated campaign.

Consumers love the taste of Zespri SunGold Kiwi and making it easier to find at the store can help fuel sales. "Retailers can increase their sales more than 200 percent by placing our display merchandisers in their produce section," explains Noritake. "Kiwi is also a basket builder in the fruit department. Just by adding kiwi to the basket with other fruit items, the basket size increases +$34 on average."**

In addition to the high-volume crop globally this year, the exceptional weather conditions have Zespri positioned for another season of great tasting kiwifruit. As consumers anticipate the flavorful start of the season, retailers can expect continued accelerated category growth with the leader in kiwifruit. Zespri's sales reps have been busy developing customized programs for retailers across the U.S. For retailers that still need to plan programs, they are encouraged to reach out to their area Zespri sales rep.

Sources: IRI Total U.S. – Latest 52 weeks ending 3/31/22*
Numerator – Latest 52 weeks ending 3/31/2022**

ABOUT ZESPRI GROUP, LTD.
Zespri is 100 percent owned by current and former kiwifruit growers and has a global team of 700 based in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand and throughout Asia, Europe and the Americas. Our purpose is to help people, communities and the environment thrive through the goodness of kiwifruit, and we work with 2,800 growers in New Zealand and 1,500 growers offshore to provide consumers with fresh, healthy and great-tasting Zespri Green, Zespri SunGold and Zespri Organic Kiwifruit. Zespri is committed to sustainability, with areas of improvement identified right through the supply chain including our pledge that by 2025 we will use 100 percent reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging, do more to help the environment, and to become carbon positive by 2035. Please visit zespri.com/en-US.

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