The survey took place on the 16th of January 2024 in the urban area of Florence and involved 14 retail locations belonging to 14 brands affiliated with 11 large retail groups.
The assortments of the following brands' retail locations were surveyed: Carrefour Express, Carrefour Market, Conad City, Conad Superstore, Coop, Dpiù, Esselunga, Eurospin, Lidl, Pam, PAM Local, Penny, TuoDì.
The analysis of supermarket shelves in Florence revealed a diverse landscape regarding the assortment of small fruits. In particular, blueberries garnered attention for their moderate prices, while blackberries and raspberries tended to have higher costs, especially in the case of blackberries.
An interesting aspect is the limited shelf supply, influenced by both the constrained available space and the limited number of display baskets.
Blueberries were presented in various formats, offering consumers greater flexibility in their purchasing choices. However, an inconsistent product quality emerged, with blueberries standing out for their excellence, while blackberries and raspberries showed a less uniform quality.
The analysis highlighted that batches of small fruits are generally fresh, with a maximum period of one week from harvesting. This contributes to ensuring the freshness of products available in supermarkets, providing buyers with a range of high-quality options.
Furthermore, the presence of few brands indicates that the small fruit market in Florence is primarily dominated by major distributors.
An interesting piece of information is the first blueberry of Spanish origin, suggesting a diversification of sourcing.
In conclusion, the analysis of the assortment of small fruits in Florence supermarkets on January 16, 2024, reveals a varied situation with moderate prices for blueberries but generally higher costs for blackberries and raspberries. The freshness of batches, limited shelf supply, and the presence of few brands are key elements influencing the consumer shopping experience.
Retailers in order of decreasing average price (€/kg) of the berry category
| Retailer | Two-pack | Raspberries | Blueberries | Blackberries | Red currants | Three-pack | Average |
| Carrefour express | 29,44 | 26,00 | 35,04 | 30,16 | |||
| PAM local | 27,12 | 24,72 | 32,72 | 28,19 | |||
| Pam | 19,95 | 27,92 | 23,92 | 31,92 | 23,92 | 25,53 | |
| Conad Superstore | 27,04 | 23,84 | 24,64 | 24,64 | 22,20 | 24,47 | |
| Esselunga | 26,00 | 20,75 | 23,84 | 19,84 | 24,53 | 22,99 | |
| Conad City | 26,24 | 23,04 | 23,84 | 23,84 | 16,95 | 22,78 | |
| Coop | 21,40 | 26,24 | 17,08 | 26,24 | 21,44 | 22,48 | |
| TuoDì | 20,72 | 19,92 | 20,32 | ||||
| Carrefour Market | 20,00 | 20,00 | |||||
| Penny | 19,92 | 19,92 | 19,92 | ||||
| Lidl | 15,47 | 15,47 | |||||
| Eurospin | 11,96 | 11,96 | |||||
| Dpiù | 11,60 | 11,60 |
