The California Walnut Board is taking a deep dive into marketing, and they believe one key to growing their market rests with a widely known discipline in the retail industry known as “category management.” According to board member Robert Verloop, “that means is we need to make sure that we understand fully how to market, merchandise, promote the walnut in such a way that it brings value to the retailer – but then also ultimately to the consumers from an enjoyment standpoint and growers from a financial standpoint.”
Verloop says that his organization is collecting data from stores all over the country to help inform the process. They are seeing some trends: retailers on the east coast, for instance, have been doing better at selling walnuts versus places like California. Verloop says such valuable data will help the board decide which areas need more attention.