Tree Fruit

Add tree fruit products to your business

By Mary Beth Doyle

Full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, tree fruit is a popular food group among the health-conscious and even the average consumer. The types of tree fruit products run the gamut, from fresh peaches, pears and plums to fruit juices, dried fruit and fruit jams. Consider contracting with fruit tree growers and adding tree fruit products to your store, whether in the form of fresh fruit, juice or other tree fruit products. If you’re located in the right region, you can even grow your own tree fruit.

You can develop a partnership with tree fruit wholesalers or buy tree fruit online to try prior to expanding your business inventory. Before adding tree fruit to your product lineup, consider the following:

1. Do you have a market for fresh tree fruit from local or international suppliers?

2. Would your customers be interested in tree fruit juice?

3. Would you consider adding other tree fruit products to your store?

4. Do you live in an area where you could produce your own tree fruit?

Check out fresh products from tree fruit producers and distributors

There are a variety of national and international tree fruit growers that distribute to all areas of the United States. Be aware of the harvesting season for each type of tree fruit so you can know when to start marketing each product.
Try: Simon George & Sons provides a wide range of fresh tree fruit, including exotic varieties that are only available a few weeks out of the year. Adams offers everything from apples to grapefruit to plums in its fresh fruit product lineup.

Explore tree fruit juice manufacturers

While some American consumers enjoy the delicious taste only fresh tree fruit can provide, others prefer to get the health benefits of these delectable fruits in a bottle.
Try: Ocean Spray has several grapefruit and cranberry fruit juices and juice blends. Old Orchard offers a wide range of tree fruit juice products, from 100% juice frozen concentrate to tree fruit juice mixers.

Find distributors of other tree fruit products

Likely because of its natural health benefits, tree fruit can be found in all types of products, from dried tree fruit to jams and jellies.
Try: Zoria Farms offers dried apricots, among other products. Bella Viva Orchards is another great source for delicious dried tree fruit. Smucker’s is a popular manufacturer of tree fruit products, including peach and cherry preserves.

Start your own tree fruit business

Tree fruits can be found in a fruit tree nursery, depending on your location, or online. Be sure to choose trees that will thrive in your climate.
Try: Willis Orchard Company offers a wide variety of tree fruit options, including apple trees, banana trees, plum trees and more. Citrus Trees Online has lemon trees, lime trees, orange trees and grapefruit trees – all shipped directly to your door.

Order a small quantity from tree fruit distributors of tree fruit or tree fruit products as your first shipment. You want to be sure customers are interested in the product before you invest too much money into it.