UK sales of the more unsual exotic fruits have soared over the past year, according to a report in The Grocer magazine.
Retailer Asda revealed that it had sold more persimmons (also known as sharon fruit in Israel) than mangoes during the fruit's three-month season last year.
Sales of pomegranates have also soared, by 26.7 per cent in volume terms, according to market research analyst Kantar Worldpanel.
In addition, coconuts and dates have experienced a boost in popularity, with volume sales rising by 3.7 per cent and 8.9 per cent respectively.
As sales of such products have risen, so those of more mainstream exotic items, including mangoes, kiwifruit and pineapples, have fallen, according to the research.
The Grocer revealed that volume sales of pineapples had plummeted by 15 per cent over the past year, while mango and kiwifruit sales had slipped by 13 per cent.
Melon sales have been the exception, the research stated, with volumes increasing by 1.4 per cent and value rising by 4.3 per cent during the last year.
The waning popularity of the more standard exotics has been attributed to price inflation, as well as the 'super fruit' status of competitors such as the pomegranate.
Dean Hayden, Asda's exotics buyer, revealed that the supermarket had shifted over half a million Spanish persimmons last season and anticipated a similar level during this campaign.
'This is the fruit of the future,' he stated. 'We sold more Spanish persimmons than mangoes last season. This highlights how much our customers love it.'
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