Perhaps it’s the lack of daylight and a need for vitamin C boosts, but the British consumer is still craving citrus even as the economic downturn looks to bite into food budgets.

Despite a price rise from £1.71 to £1.75 per kg contributing to the UK citrus market rising in value by 4.2 per cent, Kantar Worldpanel data also shows volume increasing two per cent [52 w/e 28 October]. That has meant an additional 7,609 tonnes were sold in the last year.

Tesco commercial manager for MMUK, Matt Warren, attributes the growth to the number of new customers shopping the category. Some 263,000 additional households bought citrus during the year ending 28 October 2012. “I think the reason citrus is still growing is that it’s a very popular and well-known product. Especially with easy peelers, they can be eaten on the go and with very little preparation involved,” he adds.

“Citrus is also great value for money, despite the fact that we’re fighting large input costs in fuel and labour. Fuel prices in particular are pushing up the price, with the product being shipped or trucked into the UK.

However, consumers are still purchasing citrus and the growth has come from new people buying into the category, he explains.

“The Kantar data reflects the new way that people are shopping, buying a little less but more frequently to avoid waste.

“I do think there is growth in the citrus market with other varieties of produce such as lemons, limes and grapefruit. More people are cooking and entertaining at home so there’s an opportunity to push lemons and limes as great accompaniments.

Warren believes grapefruit needs strategic marketing due to the preparation involved, which does not really fit with people’s lifestyles today.

“It should be treated more as an occasion fruit, one that is part of a healthy and leisurely weekend breakfast,” he suggests.

From a retail point of view Waitrose has had a great year in terms of citrus sales, and follows fellow premium store Marks & Spencer in overtrading in the category.

“We’re really pleased with our performance in citrus over the last year,” says a Waitrose spokesman.

“We put this down to our great customer offer, combined with compelling promotions and fantastic quality fruit from our suppliers and growers. We’re all set for a really positive Christmas.”

Waitrose has done particularly well with grapefruit sales – it has an 11 per cent market share – and was the first UK supermarket to sell the Jackson grapefruit, a sweet, white variety grown in South Africa by Komati Fruits in Malelane.

David Northcroft, Waitrose fresh produce development manager, adds: “The sweet white grapefruit has a unique taste because it has a lower naringine level, which is what controls the bitterness of a normal grapefruit.

“Generally smaller than traditional white grapefruit, it can be peeled liked an orange. The fruit has an unusual and refreshing fruit punch-like flavour with a hint of lime and is virtually seedless.”

On the core lines, easy peelers continue to hold the largest share of the market with 58.7 per cent, with oranges holding steady on 26.1 per cent. But new varieties are also increasingly finding a place.

By introducing different varieties of citrus to the shelves, Waitrose and Marks & Spencer are helping to expand the category.

Earlier this year M&S introduced the Satsumo, which is of Japanese origin and produced by crossing a kiyomi with a ponkan – a Chinese mandarin. It has a distinctive nip in the top of the fruit to make it easy to peel and eat and has a sweeter flavour than satsumas and clementines.

M&S citrus buyer Matt Pudney says: “We’ve scoured the globe with our growers to find new fruits for our customers to enjoy. We introduced the tiny tangerine from China last year and it was a great success, so now we have gone bigger and better – the Satsumo is the largest satsuma on the high street.”

With the start of the new citrus season there are positive signs that the future is still orange, with James Lane of Fruco PLC saying that prices are good and business is doing well in the weeks since it started importing. —

SPAIN POPS UP IN LONDON

To celebrate the start of the Spanish citrus season, MMUK toured London with a pop-up orchard to bring a little sunshine

to its grey streets. Samantha Lyster reports London’s South Bank is not averse to the hosting of odd events, but last week’s appearance of a pop-up citrus orchard will surely join the ranks of its more unusual sights.

This colourful display was organised at the request of citrus importers MMUK (Munoz) and staged by public relations company The Little Big Voice to celebrate the start of the Spanish citrus season with Tesco.

“The idea was to bring a small taste of the Spanish hillsides to the city,” says Jonathan Corbett of The Little Big Voice. The team, along with Tesco citrus buyers and Matt Warren, MMUK’s commercial manager for Tesco, toured London’s landmarks with the orchard, handing out fruit to commuters and passers-by. The orchard even made a quick appearance outside the Fresh Produce Journal’s offices.

To kick off the promotion, the intrigued public were handed money-off coupons to use when buying citrus in Tesco stores.

The supermarket is backing the campaign with in-store displays and a further one million vouchers will be distributed via on-pack coupons, store redemption vouchers and Clubcard mailings.

“We wanted to draw attention to the fact that this is the very best time to be buying citrus, and to make the customer aware of when the season starts,” says Warren. “Tesco has really got behind the idea, which was to fully engage customers and excite them about the product. We wanted to make it an event that would get a positive reaction, and it certainly worked with people really taking notice of the pop-up orchard and talking about citrus.”

Tesco citrus buyer Tim Battey says the supermarket was celebrating all the key Spanish citrus fruits including oranges, lemons, clementines, satsumas and tangerines. “We are delighted to be welcoming in the Spanish citrus season to Tesco stores nationwide. Over the coming weeks we will be showcasing the very best Spain has to offer,” he adds.

“During the next few weeks all stores will feature specially designed POS including signage and boxes to highlight the full Spanish range to our customers. This, together with a series of promotions and exciting external marketing activities, will lay the foundation as we lead into the all-important festive period.”

Spanish imports have seen growth of 15 per cent year on year and with the country so close to the UK, food miles are reduced, making it an even more attractive place to source from. “As a business we are focused on the supply of quality fresh produce for our customers. The promotion of key seasonal events such as Spanish citrus is just another clear demonstration of this commitment,” adds Battey.

From the reaction of people passing the orchard outside FPJ, snapping photographs and sampling the fruit, it would appear that bringing a little bit of Spain to the UK was a great idea. —

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