Why the perceived need for endless promotions?

I have always felt that one of the great mysteries amongst the UK trade is the perception that consumers need constant promotions, often price-driven, to encourage them to buy fresh fruit and vegetables despite endless evidence the products are good for them.

Persuasive tactics seem to have risen to an unprecedented level. Take Sainsbury’s as an example. The store is offering the chance to win a mini pink iPod when buying a four-pack of Australian Pink Lady. And arguably with even more value attached is a 2kg net of South African Delta Seedless with an offer for a family holiday, a bedroom makeover or what is described as an Ice Experience - which I assume must be an ice dancing extravaganza of some type rather than a festive trip to Lapland.

If that was not carrot enough Thompson Holidays is offering £100 off for anyone if they book now.

The same Sainsbury’s branch features a rash of recipes to tempt taste buds and move shoppers to other counters. Not the sort that usually lurk in packs, but on-shelf advice about what goes with what. Examples include passionfruit with double whipped cream for mince pie toppings, and the enhancement of King Edwards with cumin and caraway seeds.

At least no one has had the audacity to suggest a repeat dose of what must have been one of the most unusual recipe proposals many years ago when Jaffa published a poster recommending a grapefruit filled with baked beans.

Back to the more mundane, there are still new and unusual products finding their way onto the shelves. West Africa, as far as the UK is concerned, is best known for bananas and pineapples, so Sainsbury’s 250g baby aubergines from Ghana, at £1.59 a tray, are a novelty.

I was also struck by the latest arrivals in Tesco’s Finest range, all priced at 79p. This is a selection of the more unusual leaves including red stem radish, red mustard, pea shoots, and broccoli shoots. As the weight of the packs is just 20g I wonder if it will be regarded as a garnish, or even fill a gap somewhere between mini-prepared salads and herbs.

The selection of convenience meals also seems to know no bounds, and mushrooms are now in on the act at Marks & Spencer, with a new stir fry weighing in at £2.29.

As far as fruit is concerned, while Sainsbury’s is extolling the quality of the product, congratulations must be in order for the merchandising brain that thought up the label describing Angelino plums in the store’s Basic range (at 79p for 500g). The slogan - No lookers, great cookers is hard to argue against. And in the higher price bracket, the season’s first apricots and peaches are now arriving from South Africa. I mention this as at M&S, trays carrying loose fruit feature the message “Grown in the South African Sun”.

Perhaps climate and location will be the next “new” criteria used to help sell our healthy products.