With the official end of the import season, the supply of blackberries, blueberries and raspberries in Genoa now comes from various European sources such as Morocco, Spain, Portugal and Italy. Overall quality is good, with fresh batches benefiting from competitive prices thanks to promotions linked to increased availability.
This is the key takeaway from the survey conducted by the Italian Berry Small Fruit Observatory on May 13, 2025, covering 16 stores of 15 banners belonging to 14 organized retail groups in the urban area of Genoa (Italy). The surveyed banners included: Basko, Carrefour Market, Conad, Coop, Despar, Dpiù, Ekom, Esselunga, Eurospin, Gulliver, IN's, Lidl, MD, Pam, Penny.
Chilean redcurrants remain strong with high prices
Redcurrants remain exclusively of Chilean origin, with recent lots still meeting satisfactory quality standards. However, prices remain at high levels.
Limited choice and few brands
Product quality is good and freshness is ensured, but brand variety and overall range on the shelves remain limited.
Assortment: blueberries most widely available
Among soft fruits, the stores surveyed offered between 1 and 5 SKUs, with an average of 2.6. Blueberries were the most widely available (94%), followed by raspberries (69%) and blackberries (44%). Redcurrants (13%) and mixed berry packs (6%) had lower availability.
Range breadth: many stores with few options
Among stores carrying soft fruits, 31% offered only one SKU, while 44% offered 2 or 3. Only 25% had a broader assortment with 4 or more SKUs.
Quality: best results from Coop, Despar, ... Eurospin and MD
Quality was assessed based on the product's condition, considering: absence of major defects; healthy but suboptimal condition (not fresh, wilted, shriveled, dull, lacking bloom); presence of damaged fruit and juice; presence of spoiled fruit and mold.
The retailers showing the highest average quality were Coop, Despar Italia, Ekom, Esselunga, Eurospin, MD and Selex.
Prices: wide range across different product types
Per-kilo prices recorded showed significant variability.
Raspberries: min. €13.90, max. €20.72, average €17.36
Blueberries: min. €9.16, max. €24.90, average €16.46
Blackberries: min. €13.90, max. €28.72, average €21.82
Redcurrants: min. €23.84, max. €31.92, average €27.88
Mixed packs: €25.20/kg
The overall average price across 48 data points was €18.39/kg, with a low of €9.16 and a high of €31.92.
Packaging
The 125-gram pack accounted for 59% of the blueberry packages recorded.
Retailers by decreasing average price (€/kg) of berries category
| Retailer | Two-pack | Raspberries | Blueberries | Blackberries | Red currants | Three-pack | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basko | 18,32 | 28,72 | 23,52 | ||||
| Esselunga | 15,84 | 19,84 | 23,84 | 25,20 | 21,18 | ||
| Pam | 15,92 | 18,35 | 15,92 | 31,92 | 20,53 | ||
| Gulliver | 19,92 | 19,92 | |||||
| Conad | 17,48 | 20,64 | 19,06 | ||||
| Carrefour Market | 19,12 | 18,07 | 18,59 | ||||
| Despar | 17,52 | 17,52 | |||||
| Penny | 15,92 | 15,92 | 19,92 | 17,25 | |||
| Lidl | 20,72 | 9,58 | 20,72 | 17,01 | |||
| IN's | 15,92 | 11,96 | 19,92 | 15,93 | |||
| Eurospin | 15,92 | 15,92 | 15,92 | ||||
| Dpiù | 15,92 | 15,92 | |||||
| Coop | 13,90 | 13,90 | 11,12 | 13,90 | 13,21 | ||
| Ekom | 12,72 | 12,72 | |||||
| MD | 15,92 | 9,16 | 12,54 |
