TAIWAN

Feedback from the Trade on Their Plans and Interest in the USA Pear Season:

The retail sector had many reports about the poor quality of Starkrimson this year. The defect rate reached 28%-46%, which caused a lot of trouble before the product launched. On the other hand, both Red and Green Anjou, with excellent appearance and qualities, have begun arriving and appearing on shelves at the retail market. However, several retailers reported difficulty in ripening the fruit. In some cases, the pears did not soften even after being kept at room temperature for several days, which affected the eating experience.

Expectations for Any Freight or Logistics Challenges:

A typhoon passing near Taiwan disrupted the shipping schedule earlier this month, causing delays in the arrival of some shipments. As a result, product availability at retail was postponed, making it difficult for retailers to schedule USA Pear promotions in advance.

Opportunities in Your Market for Specific Varieties, Sizes, and Grades:

Red and Green Anjou remained the major varieties of interest in the Taiwan market this season. The most preferred size continues to be #110; however, due to retail price considerations, size #120 has recently become very popular among retailers.

Update on the Competition in the Market:

While there remained a wide range of domestic fruits still available in the local market, with the relatively warm weather, juicy fruits performed particularly well, and cantaloupe had the strongest sales of all.

Political or Economic Issues Impacting Imports, Retail, or Consumer Behavior:

PX-Mart’s acquisition and rebranding of RT-Mart into “Mega PX-Mart” is still undergoing internal integration. As a result, promotional planning requires more time and coordination. Nevertheless, PX-Mart remained highly committed to selling USA Pears, and PBNW-Taiwan will continue to communicate and to support their promotional sales efforts.

Other Brief Comments:

A shipment of Starkrimson arrived mid-November, which is considered to be a very late arrival for this variety, and as a result had major quality issues. The response among traders was very negative, which unfortunately has had an impact on the overall perception of USA Pears in the market. To maintain the reputation of USA Pears, it is essential that industry ensure that timing be considered for certain varieties in order to ensure best possibility of quality, in order to build and sustain confidence among trading partners. World Pear Day will be the major promotional focus this season. PBNW will conduct sampling promotions in more than 10 stores, along with a claw-machine interactive game in nine selected stores to enhance consumer engagement and awareness of USA Pears and World Pear Day. Digital advertising and social media exposure on Facebook will run accordingly to strengthen both online and in-store visibility.