Seal the Seasons Expands into Smoothie Offerings; Captures New Distribution with Major Grocers
DURHAM, N.C. – Seal the Seasons, the first national brand to sell locally grown frozen produce, has launched a new line of Farmers Blends, smoothie-focused items, with key retailers nationwide. The brand’s velocity focused strategy is paying off with expanded shelf space for Farmer Blends in over 1000 retail locations.
Seal the Seasons Farmer Blends are 32 oz. offerings that mix the best locally grown fruits with organically grown Tropicals like Mango, Banana, or Pineapple. Piloted in late 2020, Farmer Blend dollar sales have grown 68% in the last 12 weeks vs the prior period. Comparatively, the MULO frozen fruit category has grown 12% over the same period according to SPINS.
"Our customers told us how often they added ripe mango or banana to Seal the Seasons local blueberries or local strawberries -- why not make it easy for them?" said Seal the Seasons Co-founder & CEO Patrick Mateer, "Listening to our customers is the start of our innovation process".
Initially launched in the Carolinas with retailers like Harris Teeter, Food Lion, and Lowes Foods, Farmer Blends will be available soon in Wegmans, Park Slope Food Coop, select Safeway divisions, and some UNFI warehouses. The company will announce new west coast partnerships when California grown Farmer Blends hit market later this calendar year.
"After doubling ACV with Wegman’s last year, we look forward to continuing our momentum" said Seal the Seasons Co-founder & COO Alex Piasecki. "Sourcing locally is a win-win for family farms, grocers, and shoppers looking for delicious locally grown fruits and vegetables in the fall, winter and spring!"
National grocers continue to see the importance of locally grown. Kroger is expanding Seal the Seasons distribution this month to Fred Meyer, QFC, and the Kroger Atlanta banners. The Cincinnati based retailer will add locally grown Peaches, Cherries, Blueberries, and Berry Blends to their assortment.
"Locally grown items have a renewed importance for Americans coming out of the Pandemic" added CEO Patrick Mateer, "Kroger recognizes their shoppers are seeking local overwhelming to support their community and family farmers".
Over the last 15 months, many Americans have shifted food consumption to convenient, healthy, at-home options. Smoothies have long been a staple for consumers seeking fast and nutritious options. With the pandemic’s increased awareness on where our food comes from, consumers are seeking a trusted and convenient frozen fruit brand to supply their family’s smoothie habit.
The company currently has 65+ unique local SKUs available – supporting over 70+ farms and utilizing over 12 freezing and packing sites across the United States.
For more information about Seal the Seasons, please visit www.sealtheseasons.com. Make sure to follow Seal the Seasons on Facebook, @SealtheSeasons on Twitter and @sealtheseasons on Instagram.
About Seal the Seasons:
Seal the Seasons is pioneering a new locally grown, locally frozen and locally sold brand platform. The company was founded in 2014 with the mission to support local family farms by making local frozen produce and value-added produce to consumers 365 days a year. Seal the Seasons believes that America’s food system must balance the well-being of people, provide wholesome products, and generate sustainable profits, and that local food creates a better future for family farms and communities. As a Certified B Corporation, Seal the Seasons is committed to using business as a force for good in the world.
All of Seal the Seasons’ products are locally grown, and locally sold. The brand first released local fruit and vegetable products in 2016 by selling North Carolina and South Carolina grown produce in grocery store chains based out of the Carolinas.
Seal the Seasons currently is distributed in 4,000+ retail locations while operating in six regions of the United States (Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Northeast, Pacific Northwest, Pacific Southwest and Southeast) with 4-10 SKUs available in each region. The company was founded in 2014 by Patrick Mateer & Alex Piasecki, local food entrepreneurs who founded the company while in college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. For more information about Seal the Seasons, visit www.sealtheseasons.com.
