European suppliers of sweet green kiwiberry brand Nergi are celebrating a record sales year for the novel soft fruit.
In total, around 1.2m punnets (125g) were sold internationally between September and October 2015, up from 600,000 punnets the prior-year period.
Nergi marketers expect sales volumes to double once again in 2016, to between 2m and 3m punnets, on account of new plantings in France, Italy and Portugal, and new markets, reveals Jean-Pierre Caruel of Sofruileg, the French company behind the Nergi brand.
“We are in a development stage,” says Caruel. “Our grower base is expanding, and so are our markets. We are confident of achieving our goal of selling 2-3m punnets next year.”
Since its first commercial season in 2013, Nergi sales have centred on the UK, German, Benelux, Scandinavian, French and Italian retail markets. But in 2015, Nergi made its sales debut in Asia (Singapore) and Canada, Caruel reveals.
“We are working hard to educate consumers about the Nergi brand and how to eat the fruit (whole, skin and all),” says Caruel. “We do lots of promotions at retail point-of-sale, such as tastings, and we also communicate directly to consumers at home via social media, notably our Facebook page, which has 25m fans.”
Nergi marketers were pleased with the fruit’s reception in Singapore in 2015.
Nergi fits nicely with the developing healthy snacking culture in Asia, since it is high in vitamin C and can be eaten on-the-go, says Caruel. “Its sweet taste also appeals to consumer palates there,” he adds.
