Los Angeles-based Wonderful Citrus will ship Halo branded California mandarins through May before switching to its summer import program, said Zak Laffite, president. Wonderful Seedless Lemons will ship through June.

Those products will be supplemented by other citrus varieties including navels, other lemons, minneolas, limes,Texas oranges and grapefruit.

Wonderful Citrus is well-positioned to adapt to various weather conditions, given its innovative farming practices and expertise and the specific locations where its ranches are located, Laffite said.

Fortunately, growing conditions this season have been favorable, and Wonderful’s crops were not affected by recent California weather events because its farming/harvest teams pick in advance of the storms to build inventory.

When it comes to trends, Wonderful prides itself on keeping a close eye on what’s hot now and what’s coming around the corner.

“We’re consistently monitoring changing consumer demands and needs, while constantly looking for new varieties that will delight consumers, but also fill availability gaps and extend seasons,” Laffite said. “Specifically, we’ve been excited about the expansion of Wonderful Seedless Lemons, with new plantings in various growing regions that will increase volumes and availability.”

On the merchandising side, Wonderful is winding down an aggressive, innovative program for this season’s crop of Halos.

The beginning of the ’22-’23 Halo deal in November coincided with a geo-targeted multi-million-dollar marketing campaign, including social media, in-store POS displays, and a collection of colorful stickers designed to surprise and delight consumers, Laffite said.

To bring its Halos mascot to life and remind consumers how much fun Halos are, Wonderful has taken “Hal the Halo” on various adventures in a fun TikTok video series, perfect for kids and parents.

Additionally, the company is leveraging its online presence to increase awareness and engagement with its consumers by sharing promotions, hosting giveaways and interacting with followers across its social media channels. Wonderful also relaunched its Wonderful Halos website, complete with recipes and craft inspiration and nutrition facts.