Tesco has been named South African Stone Fruit Retailer of the Year in recognition of its strong performance and promotional support for the category during the 2019-20 season.
South African growers’ association Hortgro, which presents the prize to a UK supermarket annually, said Tesco saw a “noticeable increase” in sales this season. The retailer sold over three million kilos of South African stonefruit across its stores, with nectarines faring particularly well.
The retailer organised a range of activities during the campaign, including online promotions, competitions in its staff magazineT,and sampling at its head office. This featured South African Supersweet nectarines and peaches, and the ever-popular Flavorking plum variety.
Oliver Bruton, assistant buyer of fresh produce at Tesco, said: “Stonefruit is popular with our customers and we continuously strive to offer high quality produce. South Africa is our biggest sourcing region in the Southern Hemisphere and is an important country in helping us to deliver this.
“Within our stonefruit range nectarines and peaches remain consistently popular, with Supersweet plums also performing well.
“South Africa is a strong growing region. We work closely with suppliers in the region to plan effectively, and in the face of some challenges it is still able to deliver quality produce.
“Whether it’s through our own-label Suntrail range or our premium Tesco Supersweet brand, we aim to provide a strong range of stonefruit to suit all budgets.”
