Following the successful launch of its Premium Pineapple Tropical Gold a couple of years ago, fruit expert Dole is now extending its canned range to include Fruit Cocktail, Pears, Peaches and Prunes.
“With the recession biting coupled with a desire to include more fruit in our diet consumers are seeing an increasing role for canned fruit,” says Harvey Aaron, Sales Director Northern Europe, Dole Packaged Foods.
The canned fruit market is worth £90m with pineapple accounting for £22m and deciduous fruits including Fruit Cocktail, Peach, Pear and Prune worth £53m. Dole is one of the leading brands in the market and is currently the only key branded player in growth driven by Tropical Gold Pineapple. And with its extended portfolio the brand is now reaching 76% of canned fruit shoppers.
“For Dole there has never been a better time to build on our reputation as a pioneering premium fruit brand and to capitalise on the resurgence that we’re seeing in the canned market,” says Aaron. “Thanks to growing awareness of the government’s 5 a day campaign and in particular the knowledge that canned fruit in natural juice counts as one of the all important 5, it has brought a renewed enthusiasm to the sector.
“Tropical Gold has brought innovation and a new impetus to canned fruit. Our consumers tell us that it’s the sweetest and juiciest canned pineapple on the market and, with each 100g serving providing 53% of the RDA of Vitamin C, it’s regarded as a welcome addition to their healthy eating regime. There is also evidence that consumers are using canned fruits in everyday cooking driven by the trend for quick and easy mid-week meals on a budget.”
Within the canned pineapple sector Dole is now the second largest player with an 18% value share (March 2011), an impressive leap from its 1% share three years ago. Aaron says the brand is poised to bring the same success to its new deciduous range.
The new Dole range in 410g cans will retail at £1.
Source IRI Symphony w/e 19 Feb ’11
Dole Packaged Foods Europe (Paris)
Tel: 00 33 1 55 27 10 60
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