{"id":558,"date":"2024-12-28T11:08:49","date_gmt":"2024-12-28T16:08:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scottreisfield.com\/?p=558"},"modified":"2025-03-26T13:40:03","modified_gmt":"2025-03-26T17:40:03","slug":"maple-syrup-label-compete","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scottreisfield.com\/index.php\/2024\/12\/28\/maple-syrup-label-compete\/","title":{"rendered":"How Do Maple Syrup Brands Compete?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ theme_builder_area=”post_content” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” type=”4_4″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″ header_font_size=”45px”]

How do maple syrup brands compete?<\/strong><\/h1>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” type=”4_4″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/scottreisfield.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/french-toast-header.jpg” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” title_text=”french toast header” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” type=”4_4″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]

One of the true joys of life is real maple syrup. Most people think of it as a topping for pancakes and waffles, but it has cooking uses as well. It can add flavor to a variety of baked goods. Beyond that maple syrup is used in some BBQ sauces. Wherever your imagination takes you, really.<\/p>\n

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Maple syrup is well, maple syrup. A one ingredient product. It is a generic item, sourced from the sap of maple trees which is distilled down to a syrup. There are two grades (dark and amber) at retail. I discuss the grades below. So how do brands compete with each other?<\/p>\n

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At my local Plum Market five brands duke it out across different package sizes. There are a ton of maple syrup SKUs. Fourteen that were just maple syrup, not counting maple blends and the other breakfast syrups. That\u2019s more than ketchup. I am fascinated by the pricing differential and label claims between brands. No one advertises maple syrup. The only competitive factors are brand name, label design and on-package claims.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” column_structure=”1_3,2_3″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” type=”1_3″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/scottreisfield.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/field-day-label-detail.jpg” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” alt=”The Field Day maple syrup label from the 12 oz size.” title_text=”field day maple syrup label” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” type=”2_3″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]

The cheapest brand is Field Day, a brand umbrella for a line of lower-cost organic products. The label is consistent with Field Day branding across products, featuring the logo and the USDA organic and Non-GMO seals. The graphic design features two maple leaves. There is also a label claim of 100% Goodness. I think this is supposed to get at the idea that maple syrup is not a refined sweetener, like sugar or high fructose corn syrup.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” column_structure=”1_3,2_3″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” type=”1_3″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/scottreisfield.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Doodles-label-detail.jpg” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” alt=”Doodle’s maple syrup label with Michigan origin claim.” title_text=”Doodle’s maple syrup label” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” type=”2_3″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]

Where Field Day is at $1.00 per ounce in the 8 oz. bottle, Doodles is $1.12 per ounce ($8.99). What do you get for your extra dollar? Basically, you are buying sourcing from a Michigan family farm. I read research that consumers like to buy maple syrup from small farmers, and this label sells that proposition. Since I am in Michigan, this is a local farm.<\/p>\n

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The graphic design is plain text in a variety of fonts (five!) with a small maple leaf. The interesting thing is that Doodle\u2019s doesn\u2019t make either organic or Non-GMO claims. I don\u2019t think that their production process is any less organic than Field Day, but the rights to use these seals costs money. I did find a small brand online that stated this directly.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” column_structure=”1_3,2_3″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” type=”1_3″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/scottreisfield.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Coombs-label-detail.jpg” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” alt=”Coombs Family Farms maple syrup label.” title_text=”Coombs label with pretty imagery” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” type=”2_3″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]

Climbing up the price ladder, Coombs Family Farms, their 8 oz. bottle sells for $11.99. This translates to $1.50 per ounce, a 50% premium over Field Day for the same maple syrup. The Coombs label is pretty, they paid for a nice graphic of a rural farmhouse surrounded by maple trees, some with sap collection buckets. There\u2019s a cute small bear. The label uses both the USDA Organic and Non-GMO seals.<\/p>\n

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The Coombs back label has another farm graphic showing a modern-day farm, as opposed to the idyllic front label. The copy on the back label makes pains to point out that it\u2019s a family business. But Coombs is hardly small. They are sourcing large volumes of syrup from the United States and Canada. True, most maple syrup farms are small, it\u2019s primarily a part time business for people who happen to own stands of maple trees. Quebec has 13,500 producers. The average producer accounts for less than one hundredth of one percent of global supply.<\/p>\n

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Coombs has made their brand mean something, and they get a nice premium for the brand they have built. I think a lot of it comes down to the attractive label graphic. That\u2019s because the next brand on the list also has a pretty label.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” column_structure=”1_3,2_3″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” type=”1_3″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/scottreisfield.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Shady-Maple-Farms-label-detail.jpg” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” alt=”Shady Maple Farms maple syrup label. Pretty graphic.” title_text=”Shady Maple Farms maple syrup label detail” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” type=”2_3″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]

Shady Maple Farms does not sell an 8 oz. size, but their 32 oz size matches the $29.99 price of Coombs. They also have an attractive front graphic featuring a rural farm house, maple trees and sap collection buckets. Their animal is a dray horse pulling a sled with a cask of maple syrup over the snow. It really captures the wistful conception of maple syrup farming from a century ago. The label features both the USDA Organic and Non-GMO seals.<\/p>\n

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Shady Maple Farms is a retail brand of a large Canadian farm co-op that markets maple syrup and some other crops. Their sourcing is exclusively Canadian syrup.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” column_structure=”1_3,2_3″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” type=”1_3″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/scottreisfield.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Stonewall-label-detail.jpg” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” alt=”Stonewall Kitchen Maple Syrup label” title_text=”Stonewall Kitchen maple syrup label” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” type=”2_3″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]

The final brand that I found at Plum Market was Stonewall Kitchen Maine Maple Syrup. The label is just text and follows the Stonewall Kitchen label template. This product is asking you to pay an immense premium to have the Stonewall Kitchen label on the bottle. Their 8.5 oz bottle runs $15.99, or $1.88 per ounce.<\/p>\n

The label claims \u2018All Natural\u2019 and \u2018Non-GMO\u2019, but doesn\u2019t use the USDA Organic and Non-GMO seals. They source their maple syrup from their home state of Maine, perhaps giving it a patina of \u2018small farm\u2019. Clearly the Stonewall Kitchen brand is doing the heavy lifting in getting to the $15.99 price point. They make great stuff, I love their marmalades, which are unique gourmet products. I guess if you can get a 25%, or better, premium over your competition for a generic product, more power to you.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” type=”4_4″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″ custom_padding=”||0px|||”]

What does it look like when you step back and look at the whole array of brands and sizes?<\/p>\n

Maple Syrup Pricing by Brand and Size<\/strong><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” type=”4_4″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/scottreisfield.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Maple-Syrup-Price-Grid.jpg” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” alt=”Table of maple syrup brand pricing by size.” title_text=”Maple Syrup Price Grid” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” type=”4_4″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]

*8.5 ounce<\/p>\n

** 12.7 ounce<\/p>\n

The main thing I noticed in the big picture is that the price spreads per ounce narrow for the larger sizes. If you are buying a 32-ounce jug, brand still matters, but not enough to stretch the value proposition into the thirty plus dollar price range.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” column_structure=”1_3,2_3″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” type=”1_3″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/scottreisfield.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Coombs-8-oz-Dark-rotated.jpg” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” alt=”The label for dark maple syrup sometimes mentions the old grading system that was replaced in 2015.” title_text=”Coombs 8 oz Dark maple syrup label with a burst to call out the old Grade B.” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” type=”2_3″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]

Grades of Maple Syrup<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Maple syrup can be sorted into grades based on color and flavor. A new uniform grading system was instituted in both Canada and the US in 2015, maple syrup now comes in four grades:<\/p>\n

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