Fresh Cherries Are Fast Food

Convenience stores continue to strive to quench consumer desire for ‘better for you’ Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat food.  This year Columbia Marketing International (CMI) has developed and introduced into the C-store sector ‘Go-Go Fresh’ a mini cherry packaged the consumer looking for ‘better for you’ fresh food. Regular readers of this blog know that our Grocerant Guru say’s “Fresh Fruit is Fast Food”.

The C-store market is an untapped market for cherry producers. According to CMI “C-stores have a  small footprint stores typically require smaller fixed weight packages to be successful in a quick trip format.  In response to this demand, CMI developed “Go-Go Fresh”, a mini cherry package designed specifically for grab-n-go convenience.”…

“We have been consistently hearing from consumers and customers that they really want convenient, on-the-go snack products for smaller format stores,” said Katharine Grove, of CMI. “We developed Go-Go Fresh cherries to directly target the convenience store channel to appeal to consumers looking for healthy food choices,” said Grove.

This month (July 2014) CMI is conducting a limited test of Go-Go Fresh cherries in select markets and stores.  The Go-Go Fresh cherries will be offered at two different price points−$1.99 for one bag or two bags for $3.00. 

“Our convenience store test partners are eager to start the Go-Go Fresh program.  They have been involved in the planning process, and are confident that it will be a great success,” said Steve Lutz, Vice President of Marketing at CMI. “Retail partners involved in this test were thrilled about the program knowing that it had been pre-tested in focus groups,” said Lutz.”

Fresh Fruit is fast food Foodservice Solutions® expects that in the coming years you will see Cherries not only sold in C-stores, but at fast food restaurants, delis, retail drug stores.  If success does leave clues ‘better for you’ Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat food is one of them.

Interested in learning how the 5P’s of Food Marketing can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization  Visit www.FoodserviceSolutions.us or  Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant