Summary of the contributions by Luigi Saitta, category manager of the fruit and vegetable department at Gruppo Arena, during the round table “Berries on the rise: new directions to accelerate growth” organized by Myfruit as part of the Berry Area 2026 programme at Macfrut.
The berry market in Sicily is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by a clear evolution in consumer preferences towards increasingly high quality standards.
Current trends show growth rates above 50% for key categories such as blueberries, supported by a broader offer, new formats and greater integration between local production, mixed references and premium assortments.
Understanding these trends is crucial for supply chain operators, who are being called upon to recalibrate their production and commercial strategies in a market where taste and perceived quality increasingly outweigh price positioning alone.
The balance between agronomic yield and organoleptic profile thus becomes the real competitive differentiator, redefining the relationship between large-scale retail, producers, importers and wholesalers.
Key takeaways
1. The Sicilian blueberry market is growing by more than 50%.
The category is recording exponential growth of over 50%, driven by assortment expansion, the introduction of mixes with raspberries and blackberries, and a more structured offer on the shelf. Redcurrants, on the other hand, retain a more limited presence, linked to local consumption habits.
2. Local production is bringing consumers closer to the category.
Eastern Sicily has brought blueberries to the market with large berry size and excellent quality, helping to build consumer loyalty and reward local supply chains.
3. In strawberries, high-flavour segments are growing.
The strawberry segment is showing a shift in volumes towards products with a strong organoleptic profile. Consumers are increasingly prioritizing flavour experience, visual quality and final satisfaction over price convenience alone.
4. Varietal choice must balance yield and flavour.
Large-scale retail must send a clear message to growers: varietal choice cannot focus only on agronomic productivity, but must integrate flavour, berry size, appearance and quality consistency.
5. Foreign origins must maintain the same flavour consistency.
Since domestic production cannot cover the whole year, importers and wholesalers must select origins capable of guaranteeing consistent organoleptic standards even during off-season periods.
What emerges from the discussion
The analysis of commercial dynamics in the Sicilian berry market shows a category in strong acceleration.
Growth above 50% can be interpreted as a physiological recovery compared with previous years, but also as the direct result of more evolved category management choices.
The expansion of shelf references, the introduction of value formats and greater attention to assortment composition have made it possible to intercept growing demand.
The category is no longer growing only because of curiosity or occasional purchase, but thanks to retail’s greater ability to build an offer that is clear, accessible and consistent with local consumer preferences.
Taste becomes the real driver of the category
In the Sicilian market, berry growth does not depend only on greater product availability.
The decisive factor is the ability to offer fruit that is attractive, tasty, recognizable and consistent with the expectations of consumers who are increasingly sensitive to organoleptic quality.
Blueberries in strong acceleration
Blueberries are one of the most dynamic references in the Sicilian market.
Growth above 50% confirms the broadening of the consumer base and the progressive normalization of the category within modern grocery shopping.
This acceleration is supported by assortment expansion, including mixed references that combine blueberries, raspberries and blackberries.
These mixes make the category more accessible and more appealing to consumers, increasing the perception of variety and service.
Redcurrants, by contrast, maintain a more limited presence, in line with local habits that seem to favour blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and wild strawberries more strongly.
The role of local production
A major strategic discontinuity is represented by the impact of local production.
Eastern Sicily, in particular, has shown that it can supply blueberries with large size and excellent quality, capable of bringing consumers closer to the category and strengthening trust in the product.
The availability of local fruit with a superior flavour profile has a significant effect: it not only generates sales during its shelf presence, but also builds higher expectations towards the category as a whole.
In this sense, the local supply chain becomes a lever for consumer education. When the consumption experience is positive, customers tend to recognize greater value in the product and repeat the purchase.
| Strategic factor | Effect on the Sicilian market | Implication for the supply chain |
|---|---|---|
| Expanded assortment | Increases visibility and intercepts more consumption occasions. | Requires more evolved category management on the shelf. |
| Mixes with raspberries and blackberries | Makes the offer more varied and more accessible to consumers. | Helps enhance several species and reduce dependence on a single reference. |
| Local production | Strengthens trust, perceived freshness and propensity to repurchase. | Rewards local supply chains capable of guaranteeing berry size and flavour. |
| High-flavour segments | Shift sales towards premium products. | Varietal choice must integrate yield, flavour and visual quality. |
| Selected foreign origins | Maintain continuity when domestic product is unavailable. | Importers and wholesalers must guarantee consistent flavour standards. |
Strawberries: consumers reward high flavour
The same dynamic can be observed in the strawberry segment.
The market is showing a shift in volumes towards high-flavour segments, where the organoleptic experience becomes the main choice factor.
Sicilian consumers appear increasingly oriented towards strawberries capable of expressing flavour, aroma, colour, appearance and satisfaction at consumption.
Price convenience still plays a physiological role in promotional dynamics, but it no longer appears sufficient to guarantee repeat purchases when product quality does not meet expectations.
The central point is that consumers are not buying just a reference: they are buying an experience. If the fruit does not deliver on its flavour promise, the category loses value and trust.
Large-scale retail as a bridge between market and production
These findings lead to a crucial operational implication for the entire supply chain.
Large-scale retail has the responsibility to communicate clear signals to the production sector about the real expectations of demand.
Varietal choice can no longer be guided exclusively by agronomic yield, productivity per hectare or ease of field management.
These parameters remain essential for the economic sustainability of farms, but they must be balanced with flavour, texture, berry size, visual quality and the fruit’s ability to generate repeat purchases.
The market has shown that it is willing to recognize a price premium when quality is perceptible and consistent, especially in the case of local production capable of offering a superior experience compared with less-performing alternative origins.
Variety is not only an agronomic choice
In the new berry market, variety is also a commercial choice.
Productivity, flavour, berry size, appearance and shelf performance must be evaluated together, because success on the shelf depends on satisfying the consumer, not only on field yield.
Imports: the issue is flavour continuity
Domestic production is not able to cover the whole year.
For this reason, importers and wholesalers play a decisive role in maintaining supply continuity, especially during off-season periods.
The challenge is not just to find available product, but to select foreign origins capable of maintaining quality standards consistent with those to which consumers have become accustomed during the months of greater local availability.
If customers build trust on the basis of a product that is good, sweet, firm and pleasant, this expectation cannot be disappointed in the following months.
Flavour continuity therefore becomes a strategic variable to protect category growth and justify consumers’ willingness to pay a higher price.
From price to perceived quality
The Sicilian berry market clearly shows an important transition: growth is not built through price alone.
Promotions can stimulate purchases, but loyalty is born from perceived quality and satisfaction at consumption.
This is particularly true for categories that are still relatively young in the everyday shopping basket, such as blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and berry mixes.
Every positive experience increases the likelihood of repurchase; every disappointing experience, by contrast, risks slowing the expansion of the category.
For this reason, joint work between large-scale retail, local producers, importers and wholesalers becomes essential to guarantee continuity, standards and qualitative consistency.
In summary
The Sicilian berry market is entering a phase of accelerated maturation, supported by broader assortments, more attractive mixes and growing availability of high-quality local product.
Blueberries are recording growth above 50%, while strawberries show a clear shift towards high-flavour segments, confirming that consumers reward the organoleptic experience.
For the supply chain, the message is clear: future growth will depend on the ability to balance yield and flavour, enhance local production and select foreign origins capable of maintaining consistent flavour quality throughout the year.
In a market where price remains important but is no longer sufficient, flavour becomes the decisive lever for turning occasional purchases into category loyalty.
