The purpose of the domestic trade management program is to increase movement of fresh California grapes from field to market or professional kitchen. The program targets table grape sales at the retail and foodservice levels. The retail program is designed to increase volume movement of fresh California grapes by North American retailers. The foodservice program is designed to increase usage of fresh California grapes in foodservice operations nationwide.
- The retail management program was one of the programs awarded Category Captain in the Progressive Grocer’s 10th annual Category Captain Award in 2005.
- For 2006, volume-based retail promotions are targeted for the top 70 retailers in the U.S. and Canada. Lug volume targeted to be on promotion within this category is 60.5 million lugs or 83.8 percent of the three-year average of U.S. and Canadian shipments.
- In foodservice, outreach to the fast-food segment paid off when McDonald’s decided in May 2005 to launch the new Fruit and Walnut Premium Salad, which features fresh grapes. An estimated 600,000 boxes of fresh California grapes will be used each year for the new McDonald’s salad at the more than 30,000 restaurants nationwide. The appearance of fresh grapes on the McDonald’s menu is the result of more than two years of work by the commission with McDonald’s menu developers.