there’s no doubt that cherries are a favourite fruit, both in terms of customer demand and for retailers, because of the profit per square foot of display space they command compared with other stonefruit.
With the UK season coming to a close, there has been no break in continuity as far as Marks & Spencer is concerned - in fact almost the reverse is true.
This week I observed a choice of seven different varieties and packs on offer, all sourced from English orchards, with varieties, such as Summer Sun and Schnier, alongside US imports, Ranier and Skeena.
What caught my eye however were Lamberts from Canada, and Lapins promoted as King Cherries at £3.49 each in its own moulded compartment like many chocolate boxes. For enthusiasts only - they get 16 fruits.
To widen the offer still further, there was the Cherry Collection from Turkey. This featured Napoleon and Ranier, while to hammer home the message, the outers on the trays describe the fruit as “The Biggest, Sweetest and Juiciest.”
And all this cherry enthusiasm is taking place at a time when our own strawberry and raspberry seasons are in full swing.
The peak period for the latter also got a boost at M&S with a ‘two for £3’ offer, which has two punnets banded together and emblazoned with the Union Jack making sure that customers recognise the source.
Tropical fruit also seems to be being given a boost. Mangoes have become increasingly popular with Ivory Coast and Puerto Rican fruit on offer for half price at Sainsbury’s. Priced at 74p each, they carry a sticker of encouragement for first-time buyers. There were also ripe Golden Mangoes in the same store at £1.49, although the source remains a mystery.
Papaya may feature further down the popularity scale, but it is the first time that I have noticed the variety come to the fore promotionally. Sainsbury’s was stocking some substantially-sized Calimosa from Brazil at £2.85, so perhaps the fruit is going to follow the same path as avocados.
The retailer was also trumpeting the fact this week that it is the largest stockist of Fairtrade bananas, priced 99p, based on TNS data recorded on May 21. However, this information, included on the shelf barker, refers, I feel somewhat confusingly, to value rather than volume.
Seeing mouth-watering descriptions of the various apple varieties is nothing new, but Tesco is now incorporating the concept in small print on the PLU label itself. Granny Smith and Royal Gala, both priced at 54p a kilo, are quantified, respectively, as “tangy” and “sweet”, while Forelle pears in pre-packs are commended to shoppers for their “awesome flavour”.
And, of course, while the temperatures have been breaking records, salad sales have been booming. One buyer told me this week it was almost impossible to keep up with demand, so there should be some good results from produce departments by the end of the year.
Such growth in demand should have given the organic salads offer a boost. Especially as the produce is now displayed alongside conventional crops.
On the prepared front, Tesco is attempting to tap into the demand for organic salads with a mixed watercress, spinach and rocket pack, priced at £1.76, which reassures consumers of the disciplines needed to grow the crop.
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