CMI Orchards Helps Customers Make Informed Decisions on Organic Apples

CMI Orchards, a leader in organic apples, has put a ton of work into developing programs that supplement and sustain omnichannel marketing support.

“CMI is passionate about exploring and developing new ways that consumers are buying and interacting with produce,” said Rochelle Bohm, vice president of marketing for the Wenatchee, WA-based company. “From meal kit programs to providing digital assets and toolkits for retailers to supplement and enhance their own content, combining competitive branded organic volume and omnichannel marketing capabilities ensures that there’s more bang for your buck with campaigns that are sustainable and irresistible.”

Rochelle Bohm, Vice President of Marketing, CMI Orchards

For instance, the company’s Flavogram program puts the power in both the hands of shoppers and retailers to gain more knowledge about apple flavors.

“Equipping consumers with more knowledge about the fruit they’re buying entices them to branch out from the lower-priced core varieties with more confidence and [increases] incremental sales for retailers across the board,” Bohm said. “With consumers more aware and concerned with sustainability now than ever before, Relax! is the perfect tool for retailers to show their customers they care.”

This award-winning program delivers clear, concise, and impactful communication that resonates with customers on a practical and emotional level and is backed by concrete, authentic sustainability claims.

“Equipping consumers with more knowledge about the fruit they’re buying entices them to branch out from the lower-priced core varieties with more confidence and [increases] incremental sales for retailers across the board.” - Rochelle Bohm

Horizon, which explores tomorrow’s best apple, pear, and cherry varieties, is the latest umbrella program added to CMI.

“While up to a decade away from commercial availability and still in development, this program allows CMI to stay on the forefront of innovation and keep our fingers on the pulse of the best varieties to come,” Bohm said.

The genesis of CMI dates back to 1989 when the Wade and McDougall families decided they wanted their fruit sold by a sales company they had ownership in. So they partnered with Nick Buak from Dovex and Glady Bellamy from Beebe Orchards to start Columbia Marketing International.

“It was already different from the others; when we started, we didn’t have large volumes of Red Delicious and Golden Delicious like the rest of the industry but good volumes in newer varieties at the time,” said Robb Myers, vice president of business development. “This set CMI apart from our competitors, who were only just beginning to introduce these varieties like Gala, Fuji, Braeburn, and Granny Smith into the mix.”

Robb Myers, Vice President of Business Development, CMI Orchards

At the time, the only apples that were available year-round were Red Delicious and Golden Delicious. CMI partnered with Unifrutti in Chile to keep its retail partners stocked with exciting additional apple varieties throughout the summer, and acquisition of varieties like Ambrosia Gold, KIKU, Kanzi, Pacific Rose, Jazz, and Envy early on through the commitment of the Wade and McDougall families is what kept the company on the cutting edge of the market.

“When we started, we didn’t have large volumes of Red Delicious and Golden Delicious like the rest of the industry but good volumes in newer varieties at the time.” - Robb Myers

Today, CMI offers domestic year-round organics on many of the apples it grows. CMI carries the largest selection of branded organics in the USA, offering retailers a fourth tier of selling power beyond conventional core, organic core, and branded core varieties.

“The apple market constantly evolves, and customers seek out exciting new flavors, which means retailers need to look beyond the conventional core, conventional branded, and organic core tiers if they want to stay competitive,” said Danelle Huber, senior marketing manager for the company. “With the new year and spring approaching, we’re still seeing an uptick in healthy eating—this makes it the perfect year for retailers to display newer varieties and allow their shoppers the opportunity to trade up to some of the newer, readily available branded/high-flavor varieties that we’ve got on hand.”

Danelle Huber, Senior Marketing Manager, CMI Orchards

With the early innovation and drive of the company’s owners, CMI had unique foresight into the growth potential of organics and was one of the earliest pioneers of organic apples and has since transitioned up to 30 percent of its crop.

“With the new year and spring approaching, we’re still seeing an uptick in healthy eating—this makes it the perfect year for retailers to display newer varieties and allow their shoppers the opportunity to trade up to some of the newer, readily available branded/high-flavor varieties that we’ve got on hand.” - Danelle Huber

“Over this next year, our tonnage on organic high-flavored varieties will see a huge increase; we estimate about triple the production for varieties like Ambrosia Gold, Envy, Kanzi, KIKU, Jazz, Cosmic Crisp, Smitten, and EverCrisp,” said Joel Hewitt, domestic sales and organic manager. “Consumer demand for organics continues to rise, and we’re perfectly positioned to continue increasing in organic production to meet those demands.”

Joel Hewitt, Domestic Sales and Organic Manager, CMI Orchards

Despite inflation and what seems to be a decrease in consumer spending within the produce department, the branded/high-flavor category volume has increased nearly 12 percent year over year and has an average retail of $3.03.

“We have a great promotable volume on organic Fuji, Jazz, and Envy, and though the overall crop is shorter across the state compared to previous years, CMI’s branded variety volume is almost on par with last season due to production increases, plantings, and packouts,” Huber said. “Our growers pick up on and lean into consumer trends and new varieties while bringing their expertise when it comes to match-making locations to help spread out labor requirements and mitigate the possible impact of inclement weather.”

The company is thrilled about its added partnerships this season, which are bolstering its volume and position in comparison to the market averages, especially with volume down significantly across the board.

“Consumer demand for organics continues to rise, and we’re perfectly positioned to continue increasing in organic production to meet those demands.” - Joel Hewitt

“Adding SugarBee to our manifest is an awesome highlight; this emerging best-selling apple is rapidly rising in popularity, evidenced by strong sales,” Bohm said. “We’ve put a lot of focus on trading consumers up to high-flavor options. Now more than ever shoppers are willing to try new varieties, given they have the proper incentive—in most cases, arming them with more in-depth knowledge about flavor profiles so they can make informed decisions about what they’re spending their money on.”