Supermarkets have been accused of operating “financially redundant” business models, amidst charges they are selling organic vegetables at an elevated cost.
Rob Haward, operations director at Riverford, the UK’s largest organic box delivery scheme, told The Telegraph that supermarkets were not “hoodwinking middle-class shoppers, it's just a case that supermarkets’ business models are financially redundant”.
Retailers have been accused of charging 22 per cent more for organic veg than a box scheme or smaller outlets.
A selection of veg including potatoes, courgettes, fennel, chard leaves and runner beans would set you back £15.95 from Riverford, whereas Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose would charge £22, £23.80 and £26.23 respectively for the same selection.
Haward said use of large central distribution warehouses and rejection of irregular sized produce pushed up the price for the supermarkets.
The Daily Telegraph has previously conducted research that discovered a basket of six fruit and five vegetables cost 18 per cent more at supermarkets compared to local greengrocers.
No comments yet