Susan Day
Vice President International Marketing
California Table Grape Commission
Susan Day has spent her 30-year career in international food and agricultural marketing on three continents: Europe, Australia and the U.S.
From a background managing clients’ business in multi-national advertising agencies, Day became co-owner of Euro-American Marketing Services Ltd. in the United Kingdom, managing the export marketing programs for a number of U.S. agricultural commodities across Europe. Day joined the California Table Grape Commission in 2000.
The California table grape industry has been shipping its fruit to Japan for over 20 years.
The state of California represents 100 percent of all exports of table grapes from the U.S. and they are available from May through January each year. California produces green, red and blue/black grapes in over 60 seeded and seedless varieties and ships them to more than 50 countries around the world. Japan is the industry’s 23rd largest export market and continues to offer further opportunity to grow.
While Japanese grapes are available during most of the California table grape season, they have a different taste and texture from California grapes. Traditionally, consumers in Japan have consumed grapes after peeling the skin; partly because most Japanese grapes are thicker skinned and therefore peeling became a habit. California grapes can be eaten with the skin intact. The skins of grapes are full of nutrients including important antioxidants that are known to promote good health. Eating grapes with the skin is also convenient for Japanese families looking for fast, healthful snacks for themselves and their children.
In the past, California grapes have primarily been exported to Japan in the latter months of the year. Working with retailers in an effort to increase exports to Japan, in-store promotions were offered to them as an incentive to handle California grapes during other parts of the season. As a result, the past two years have seen early season exports of California grapes to Japan with a prominent supermarket chain in western Japan importing California grapes in May and June. Additionally, two Japanese retail chains promoted California grapes in the late season (October through December), both of which have increased their sales versus the previous year.
