That revenue equals sales, measured in 2018 dollars, of the Opal apple (launched in 2010) and the Cortland apple (debuting in 1915) and is nearly double the 2018 sales mark of $8.7 million for the SweeTango - introduced in 2009. Sales of Cosmic Crisp in its first year, initially projected at 175,000 but now at 467,000 boxes at 40 pounds each, would equate to some $14 million in industry sales. The Cosmic Crisp’s grocery debut will be unprecedented in the apple industry. Most important for Washington growers, the Cosmic Crisp ripens at the same time as the Red Delicious, making it an easy swap in the orchard, packing houses and, growers hope, on store shelves.įor the first 10 years, only Washington state growers can grow Cosmic Crisp. Today the Red Delicious accounts for only 34% of Washington’s total crop. Consumers complained, sales declined and growers removed some 82,000 acres of the Red Delicious from production, often in favor of new varieties - most recently Cosmic Crisp. In 1986, the Red Delicious, imported originally from Iowa in the 1870s, represented 75% of all apples grown here.īut the Red Delicious, which is one of the nine or so main varieties of apples grown in Washington state, turns mealy from the long storage it needs to remain available nationally all year. Washington growers, who produce 70% of the nation’s apples, according to the Washington Apple Commission, are betting the homegrown Cosmic Crisp will replace their faltering flagship, the Red Delicious. There’s a lot riding on the much-anticipated new apple, which is only the second variety chosen by WSU breeders for commercialization.

It’s the largest consumer launch of a single apple variety. So do Washington State University’s 10 regents, countless WSU administrators and Yakima-based Proprietary Variety Management, or PVM - the small firm that is spending $10.1 million during four years to market the apple to consumers. More than 400 Eastern Washington fruit growers who have invested more than $500 million to grow it hope so. Will they like it enough to buy a second?

This fall, Washington state consumers will get their first bite of a new apple called the Cosmic Crisp. “The goal, from now and over the next 5 years, is to reach a total of 40,000 gross tons: this is an impressive figure for a premium apple that has all the characteristics to revolutionize store shelves and that amazes consumers from the very first bite.This story appears in the July 2019 issue. 'Following the success achieved in the USA, we are confident that Cosmic Crisp ® is already winning over discerning consumers not only in Italy, but also in Spain, Germany, Scandinavia and the UK.”įabio Zanesco, Sales Director at VIP, said: “We currently have 500 hectares of cultivated land in South Tyrol - Südtirol, which this year has enabled us to obtain a significant first harvest for the commercial launch the sales campaign is scheduled to last until April.' Klaus Hölzl, Sales Manager at VOG Consortium, said: “We are starting the marketing campaign with great euphoria,” comments “This is a revolutionary apple that our customers like because it appeals to consumers, who appreciate its extraordinary qualities.' The result of a cross between the Enterprise and Honeycrisp varieties, Cosmic Crispis part of a new generation of apples and stands out for its attractive colour, featuring multi-faceted red shades on a yellow background. As well as of naturalness, pleasure and exclusivity.” “A magnificent sky, portrayed in its evocative settings and in the different colours it assumes from dawn to dusk, serves as a backdrop for the faces chosen for the campaign, conveying the sensation of pleasure it arouses with every bite.

“A perfect apple at any time of day,” explains Benjamin Laimer, Marketing Manager at the VIP Consortium. In the future it will cover the sales season until July. With this year’s output of 1,200 metric tons (MT), Cosmic Crisp will be stocked in fruit and vegetable aisles from February to April. The apple enters the market in the second half of the season. “Indeed, ‘Heavenly pleasure’ is the slogan of the communication campaign that introduces stores to the unique pleasure that Cosmic Crisp® brings with every bite.” “We were thrilled to launch the first major campaign for this heavenly apple, which offers a unique pleasure with every bite, an intense emotion as big as the sky,” remarks Hannes Tauber, Marketing Manager at the VOG Consortium. thanks to the VOG and VIP consortia, which grow it in South Tyrol - Südtirol. Having seen roaring successful over recent years in the U.S., the new apple has now also made its way to Italy, Spain, Germany, Scandinavia and the U.K.

Cosmic crisp apple