U.S. citrus supplier celebrates Lunar New Year with exclusive packaging

Citrus takes center stage during the Chinese and Lunar New Year festivities as a gift symbolizing prosperity and good fortune. Sunkist, recognizing the cultural importance, introduces a captivating limited-edition 10-pound (4.5 kg) carton themed around the Year of the Dragon. This packaging aims to elevate the citrus experience, ensuring it remains a focal point of celebrations not only in domestic markets but also across Asia.

In Chinese lore, the dragon represents auspicious qualities such as luck, strength, and health within the zodiac. Sunkist's exclusive ‘Year of the Dragon’ cartons showcase authentic Chinese design, adorned with vibrant custom illustrations predominantly in red and gold. The brand expands its offerings this year, presenting a choice between Navel oranges or Cara Cara oranges in the 10-pound cartons, with exclusive packaging tailored for select retailers. Complementing these, the display bins serve as a fantastic platform to showcase a variety of in-season conventional or organic citrus, including Pummelos, Blood oranges, lemons, California mandarins, Minneola tangelos, and grapefruit.

Cassie Howard, Sr. Director of Category Management and Marketing at Sunkist Growers, Inc., comments that citrus, according to Circana data, is outpacing last year's performance in the overall produce and fruit categories. Leveraging the rising consumer interest in specialty items, Howard emphasizes the significance of promoting citrus during the Lunar New Year shopping season to maintain top-of-mind awareness.

A study by Sunkist revealed that consumers respond positively to advertisements featuring recipe inspiration and utilization tips, driving direct citrus purchases. The brand's merchandising program incorporates interactive point-of-sale materials with scannable QR codes, delivering real-time recipe inspiration to shoppers.

Highlighting the impressive fruit sizes this season, Howard encourages retailers to seize the opportunity presented by the growing demand for citrus during Lunar New Year celebrations. Interactive display bins become a valuable tool for providing customers with substantial fruit offerings, aligning with consumer preferences for larger-sized produce.

In addition to Lunar New Year-themed merchandising bins, Sunkist introduces new bin headers and header cards this season. These promotional materials focus on flavor information, nutritional benefits, and trending recipes, providing flexibility for showcasing all in-season citrus varieties.

If you're interested in incorporating citrus celebrations in-store with Sunkist, send your inquiry