"The initial test was in just 27 stores near our office, so our management team could keep an eye on how they were doing," she added.
The next phase will include 120 stores [image-nocss] in Florida, she said, and a to-be-determined number of stores in Southern California. An upcoming meeting between 7-Eleven and Del Monte executives will target the California stores participating in the test marketing and decide when the next phase of the test will begin, said Chabris.
She declined to reveal figures on the Dallas area-testing, but said the effort has gone well. "We can say that we were pleased with the results and want to validate those results by expanding to other areas."
The bananas are delivered in a plastic film developed by Del Monte. The film, dubbed by Del Monte "controlled ripening technology packaging," reduces bruising, controls ripening and extends shelf life up to five days, Dennis Christou, Del Monte vice president of marketing, told the newspaper when the Dallas-area testing began.
The single bananas "give significant advantages to the c-store operators by ensuring that they have an optimal quality product that lasts longer and reduces their overall costs," he said at that time.
The plastic film is recyclable. Its use also reduces delivery truck miles. "Because the bananas last longer on our counters, they don't have to be delivered as often, and that cuts down on deliveries," Chabris said.
If the results of the testing are positive, the company plans to launch the program on a region-by-region basis in the United States at all of the nearly 5,800 7-Eleven stores before the end of 2010, Chabris told The Packer. The chain expects to sell more than 27 million bananas this year, according to company projections cited by the publication, up from 19 million bananas in 2007.
Should single banana sales go nationwide at 7-Eleven stores, Del Monte will ship cartons of the wrapped fruit to ports in Camden, N.J., Tampa, Fla., and Southern California in addition to Galveston, Texas, Chabris said.
The Del Monte Natural Energy Snack on the Go bananas are available in a 40-lb. bulk box, a 40-lb. quad-pack and a 10-lb. display-ready box. A standup counter display is also available from Del Monte, said the report.
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