In Modena (Italy), rising prices for blueberries and blackberries, stable prices for raspberries in week 51/2024. Overall, prices remain high. Package sizes are becoming smaller, even for blueberries (mostly in the standard 125-gram format). Quality standards are satisfactory, but blackberries are struggling due to high prices, resulting in low turnover and longer shelf time.
This is the key summary of the Small Fruit Observatory, which yesterday, December 17, 2024, returned to the urban area of Modena, analyzing 21 retail points from 20 store brands belonging to 14 organized retail groups (GDO).
The assortments of the following retailers were observed: Aldi, Conad, Conad City, Coop, Dpiù, Ecu, Esselunga, Eurospar, Eurospin, Extra Coop, IN's, iperFamila, Lidl, MD, Pam, Rossetto, Sigma, Spazio Conad, U2.
Assortment
In the stores visited, the number of references ranged from a minimum of two to a maximum of seven, with an average of 3.5 references per store.
In the 20 stores with small fruits in their assortment:
- 75% carried raspberries;
- 90% carried blueberries;
- 65% carried blackberries;
- 55% carried red currants;
- 35% carried Tris mixes.
Product Range
20% of the stores with small fruits had only one reference on sale. Another 20% had two or three references, while the remaining 60% offered four or more references.
Quality
Quality is defined by product condition, assessed based on:
- Absence of major defects;
- Healthy but less-than-ideal condition (not fresh, wilted, shriveled, dull, or lacking bloom);
- Presence of damaged fruits and juice;
- Presence of spoiled fruits and mold.
The groups with the best quality were Aldi, Despar Italia, Eurospin, Gruppo PAM, Lidl, Selex, and Unes.
Sales Prices
- Raspberries (22 observations): min. €14.24/kg – max. €27.12/kg – avg. €19.14/kg
- Blueberries (28 observations): min. €9.93/kg – max. €23.04/kg – avg. €15.23/kg
- Blackberries (17 observations): min. €23.84/kg – max. €30.32/kg – avg. €26.40/kg
- Red currants (12 observations): min. €19.84/kg – max. €27.12/kg – avg. €23.64/kg
- Tris mixes (7 observations): min. €13.30/kg – max. €25.20/kg – avg. €19.71/kg
- Overall total (86 observations): min. €9.93/kg – max. €30.32/kg – avg. €19.98/kg.
Brands
A total of 23 brands of small fruits were present in the stores visited.
The brand with the highest average prices was Conad, while the brand with the lowest average prices for blueberries was Sweggie, followed by Camposol.
Packaging
54% of the observed references for blueberries were sold in packages with a net weight of 125 grams.
