Very high-quality standards in the berry category surveyed in Padua (Italy): blueberries and raspberries are looking excellent, as are blackberries and red currants, although high prices are not helping turnover.
The batches are fresh, so the overall situation is positive.
Raspberries and blueberries have average prices, while blackberries and red currants reach higher peaks.
Regarding origins, Chilean blueberries are starting to appear, characterized by good quality and a pleasant appearance, although not quite at the level of those from Peru, yet still a valid alternative.
These are some of the findings of the Berry Observatory, which today, January 21, 2025, made a stop in Padua, a city where 19 sales points belonging to 14 groups of organized large-scale distribution were visited.
The chains included: Aldi, Alì, Alìper, Conad City, Conad Superstore, Coop, Eurospar, Eurospin, Famila, Iper Spar, Iperlando, MD, Pam, Prix, Rossetto, Spak, Spazio Conad, Super A&O.
During the visit, berries were not part of Lidl's assortment.
Assortment: 3.8 items per store
The stores visited had between one and seven items, with an average of 3.8 items.
In the 18 stores with berry assortments, 83% had raspberries, 100% had blueberries, 61% had blackberries, 39% had red currants, and 33% had mixed packs.
Range breadth: four or more items in 55% of stores
Here's how the items are distributed. Six percent of stores with berry assortments had only one item; 39% had two or three items; the remaining 55% had four or more items available.
Quality
Quality refers to the product's health, as assessed by the Observatory's experts in terms of: absence of significant defects; healthy product but not in ideal condition (not fresh, tired, shriveled, dull, without bloom); presence of damaged fruit and juice; presence of spoiled fruit and mold.
The groups with the best quality were Aldi, Alì Supermercati, Conad, Eurospin, Gruppo Vega, Prix, Rossetto.
Sale prices
Raspberries (17 observations): average €23.06/kg (min. €19.92/kg – max. €23.92/kg)
Blueberries (34 observations): average €16.18/kg (min. €9.97/kg – max. €27.92/kg)
Blackberries (12 observations): average €26.03/kg (min. €23.84/kg – max. €30.32/kg)
Red currants (9 observations): average €27.73/kg (min. €19.92/kg – max. €31.92/kg)
Mixed packs (6 observations): average €23.68/kg (min. €19.87/kg – max. €26.33/kg)
Overall (78 observations): average €21.11/kg (min. €9.97/kg – max. €31.92/kg).
| Retailer | Two-pack | Raspberries | Blueberries | Mix | Blackberries | Red currants | Three-pack | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conad City | 23,92 | 18,26 | 28,72 | 26,33 | 24,31 | |||
| Iperlando | 23,84 | 17,00 | 23,84 | 31,20 | 23,97 | |||
| Eurospar | 23,92 | 27,92 | 19,93 | 23,92 | ||||
| Spazio Conad | 23,92 | 16,54 | 27,92 | 26,33 | 23,68 | |||
| Pam | 14,95 | 23,12 | 13,95 | 30,32 | 31,92 | 22,85 | ||
| Alì | 23,92 | 17,96 | 23,92 | 23,92 | 22,43 | |||
| Conad Superstore | 19,96 | 23,92 | 17,66 | 17,95 | 27,92 | 26,33 | 22,29 | |
| Iper Spar | 24,95 | 23,92 | 16,47 | 19,93 | 27,12 | 19,92 | 23,27 | 22,23 |
| Alìper | 23,92 | 16,96 | 23,92 | 23,92 | 22,18 | |||
| Eurospin | 23,92 | 19,92 | 21,92 | |||||
| Coop | 23,84 | 15,92 | 23,84 | 23,84 | 21,86 | |||
| Rossetto | 20,64 | 12,12 | 23,84 | 31,84 | 19,87 | 21,66 | ||
| Super A&O | 21,52 | 14,32 | 23,92 | 19,92 | ||||
| MD | 19,92 | 15,12 | 17,52 | |||||
| Famila | 14,32 | 19,93 | 17,13 | |||||
| Prix | 14,94 | 14,94 | ||||||
| Aldi | 13,14 | 13,14 | ||||||
| Spak | 11,96 | 11,96 |
18 brands
Berries from a total of 18 brands were found in the visited stores. The brand with the highest average prices was Pam. The brand with the lowest average prices for blueberries was Orsero, followed by Cuna De Platero.
Packaging
Forty-four percent of the blueberry items observed were sold in packages with a net weight of 125 grams.
