Supermarket Perimeter - January 2025 - 51

The carrot shakers feature a burstable seasoning pouch and
baby carrots. The product is sold in three flavors: dill pickle, chili
lime and ranch. The side dish sizzlers contain sliced carrots and
feature three sauce varieties: garlic herb, sweet honey heat and herb
vinaigrette. Fresh Soup n' Stewin' carrots are pre-cut, simplifying meal
preparation time.
" Early feedback highlights their ability to enhance snacking and
streamline meal preparation, " White said of the new items. " Consumers
are particularly drawn to their vibrant flavors and the ease they bring to
everyday cooking. "
Another new product from Bolthouse Fresh, which is debuting
in Canada, is the Chip Dipper carrot. Designed to be as fun as it is
functional, the carrots are shaped and sized like potato chips, making
them perfect for dipping in hummus, ranch, or your favorite spreads,
White said.
The new products join a product roster that also includes regular
baby cut carrots, Party Sticks and Matchstix.
Party Sticks' vibrant color, irresistible crunch, and versatility make
them the ultimate crowd-pleaser, White said. They're perfect for veggie
platters, as a dip companion, or a standout addition to any holiday table.
Matchstix carrots provide a quick and colorful solution for wraps,
salads, and stir-fries, helping busy families and individuals add fresh
veggies to their meals with ease.
Apple innovations
Sliced-apple pioneer Crunch Pak has enjoyed success with many
licensed marketing partnerships over the years.
Currently, the company's best-performing partnership is with Bluey,
the animated show that was the most streamed children's program
in the country for most of 2024, said Andy Kimbrel, Crunch Pak's vice
president of sales and marketing. " Bluey is having a moment, " he said.
" Our three SKUs are all doing well. It was our biggest win for 2024, and
we've been very grateful for that. "
Crunch Pak's Bluey products were introduced in Fall 2023. The
biggest new introduction in 2024, Kimbrel said, is a partnership with
Reese's. This fall, the company began shipping packs that include a
Reese's mini.
" Initial feedback has been good. Everybody eats Reese's, "
Kimbrel said.
Peanut butter and chocolate have long been natural pairings with
apples, said Tony Freytag, Crunch Pak's executive vice president. That
made partnering with Reese's an easy choice.
The small size of the Reese's inclusion taps into consumer demand
for a small, portion-controlled sweet to complement their healthy
eating choices.
" People want to eat healthy, but they still want that indulgent part, "
Kimbrel said.
" If you look at the last few months, the emphasis on healthier is
getting bigger and bigger, " Freytag added. " Some of it has to do with
the new administration. I believe we'll see some changes that could
benefit fresh-cut and produce in general. It just seems like there's been
a higher level of conversation on food as medicine the past couple of
years. " Also new for Crunch Pak is a promotion with Minecraft, in which
consumers who purchase Minecraft-themed Crunch Pak products can
supermarketperimeter.com
JANUARY 2025 - 51
Licensing
partnerships are a
great way to gets kids
(and adults) excited
about eating fruits
and vegetables.
Bluey is having a moment.
It was our biggest win
for 2024, and we've been
very grateful for that. "
Andy Kimbrel, Crunch Pak
download an exclusive digital necklace they can put on their character
in the game.
The promotion will run through March.
Looking ahead, expect to see Crunch Pak extend its licensing
program into other fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, Kimbrel said.
" The category is continuing to grow, " he said, citing data that the
healthy snacking category, which includes fresh-cut, grew 10.4% in
2024. The growth for Crunch Pak and its partner, vegetable specialist
Taylor Farms, has exceeded that.
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