In Padua, the situation for berries is becoming increasingly stable week by week. Prices are falling, while quality is improving, as is the rotation of production batches, which are becoming fresher. Specifically, quality standards are stabilizing more slowly in the case of raspberries, but products are generally good.
Prices remain high for blueberries and blackberries, while raspberries are becoming more affordable. There is product availability on the shelves, with the main origins being Peru for blueberries, Morocco for raspberries, and Mexico for blackberries.
These are the main findings from today’s Berries Observatory, November 12, 2024, in the urban area of Padua (Italy), covering 20 stores from 20 retail brands belonging to 14 major distribution groups.
The store assortments from the following brands were surveyed: Aldi, Alì, Alìper, Conad City, Conad Superstore, Coop, Eurospar, Eurospin, Famila, iN’s, Iper Spar, Iperlando, Lidl, MD, Pam, Prix, Rossetto, Spazio Conad, Super A&O.
At the time of the visit, no berries were in stock at Spak.
Assortment
In the berry category, the stores visited had between a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 6 varieties, with an average of 3.6 varieties per store.
Specifically, in the 19 stores where the product was available, 79% had raspberries in stock, 100% had blueberries, 53% had blackberries, 37% had red currants, and 32% had the Tris assortment.
Range
11% of stores with berries in stock had only one variety; 37% had 2 or 3, and the remaining 52% had 4 or more varieties available.
Quality
Quality is defined by the health of the product, measured in terms of: absence of major defects; product that is healthy but not in ideal condition (not fresh, tired, wilted, dull, without bloom); presence of damaged berries and juice; presence of spoiled berries and mold.
The groups with the best quality were Aldi, Alì Supermarkets, Coop, F.lli Lando, Lidl, MD, Prix, and Selex.
Selling Prices
- Raspberries (20 observations): min. 15.84 euros/kg, max. 28 euros/kg, avg. 22.04 euros/kg
- Blueberries (34 observations): min. 9.98 euros/kg, max. 23.92 euros/kg, avg. 18.28 euros/kg
- Blackberries (13 observations): min. 23.84 euros/kg, max. 31.92 euros/kg, avg. 26.49 euros/kg
- Red currants (7 observations): min. 19.92 euros/kg, max. 23.92 euros/kg, avg. 23.09 euros/kg
- Tris assortment (6 observations): min. 19.87 euros/kg, max. 29.67 euros/kg, avg. 25.12 euros/kg
Overall total (80 observations): min. 9.98 euros/kg, max. 31.92 euros/kg, avg. 21.49 euros/kg.
Brands
A total of 20 brands of berries were found in the stores visited.
The brand with the highest average prices in this category was Pam.
The brand with the lowest average prices for blueberries was Exportadora Fruticola Del Sur, followed by Aldi.
Packaging
Half (50%) of the blueberry varieties surveyed were sold in packages with a net weight of 125 grams.
Retailers listed by descending average price (€/kg) of the berry category
| Retailer | Two-pack | Kiwiberry | Raspberries | Blueberries | Blackberries | Red currants | Three-pack | Total |
| Conad City | 27,12 | 21,26 | 28,72 | 29,67 | 26,69 | |||
| Conad Superstore | 26,32 | 22,32 | 27,92 | 29,00 | 26,39 | |||
| Spazio Conad | 26,32 | 20,26 | 27,92 | 29,00 | 25,88 | |||
| Prix | 23,92 | 23,92 | ||||||
| Alìper | 28,00 | 19,76 | 23,92 | 23,92 | 23,90 | |||
| Alì | 28,00 | 19,76 | 23,92 | 23,92 | 23,90 | |||
| Pam | 19,95 | 23,92 | 19,94 | 31,92 | 22,32 | 23,61 | ||
| Iperlando | 23,84 | 17,96 | 23,84 | 23,84 | 22,37 | |||
| Coop | 23,84 | 15,92 | 23,84 | 23,84 | 21,86 | |||
| Super A&O | 21,52 | 23,92 | 19,93 | 21,79 | ||||
| Iper Spar | 24,95 | 11,92 | 19,12 | 15,92 | 27,12 | 19,92 | 23,27 | 20,32 |
| Eurospin | 19,94 | 19,94 | ||||||
| Rossetto | 15,84 | 14,24 | 23,84 | 23,84 | 19,87 | 19,53 | ||
| MD | 19,92 | 18,32 | 19,12 | |||||
| Eurospar | 22,32 | 12,95 | 17,64 | |||||
| iN's | 15,92 | 15,92 | 15,92 | |||||
| Famila | 15,92 | 15,92 | ||||||
| Lidl | 15,47 | 15,47 | ||||||
| Aldi | 15,44 | 15,44 |
Online retail prices
Click here to access the weekly updated online price lists for berries.
