The FPJ Big 50 Products ranks the 50 best-selling fresh fruit and vegetable products by sales value, using Kantar Worldpanel data for the 52 w/e 20 May 2018.
41. Kiwis
Value: £51.2m (+9.7%) Volume 22.5m kg (-9.9%)
Prices up after a wet season down under
The Antipodean import is making headway at its own pace, with a hefty 10 per cent rise in value, after shortages from New Zealand pushed prices up. To make matters worse, Italian exports plummeted following spring frosts and disease in the not so fair Verona and Veneto production regions.
The subsequent tight supply was reflected in the 9.9 per cent fall in the numbers of kiwis sold by retailers. Jayne Chamberlain, UK market manager for Zespri, says: “The increase in value last season was largely driven by higher prices on green kiwi fruit due to short supply. This was a consequence of adverse environmental conditions in our growing regions.” Wet weather caused a delayed start to the New Zealand season, which flooded vine roots for several days.
Chamberlain points out that the numbers mask a potential future driver of the category, as Zespri’s gold-flesh variety proved popular with shoppers.
“There was an increase in volume and value for Zespri SunGold kiwi fruit, which was driven by higher demand for this larger, sweeter, ready-to-eat variety,” Chamberlain says. “SunGold, as we have seen in other countries, will continue to reinvigorate the kiwi fruit category due to its great taste and health attributes.”
42. Brussels sprouts
Value: £50.9m (+4.2%) Volume: 32.3m kg (+10.5%)
Christmas cheer and New Year gloom drive sales
Cold, wet weather at the beginning of 2018 has helped drive sales of Brussels sprouts, with demand for the traditional winter brassica continuing into March and April this year.
More and more consumers are now opting for prepped bags of sprouts that you can pour straight into the pan, however Julian Pitts of Veg UK notes that demand has also been growing for whole stalks of sprouts, with recipes emerging for roasted ‘sprouts on the stalk’.
Despite the longer overall sales window this year, Thomas McLaughlin of Gilfresh says the Christmas spike was slightly shorter than before. “I think people are leaving their Christmas shop later and later,” he explains. “You used to have sales build over seven or eight days but now people are leaving it until two or three days before to make sure they have product as fresh as possible for their Christmas dinner.”
Following difficulties with diamondback moth in 2016, last year’s growing season was “quite good”, McLaughlin says, but he fears this season will be challenging. “There are crops that are approximately 2ft high when you’d expect them to be in excess of 3ft high by this stage,” he says. “You’d hope we’d see some sort of recovery if we get rainfall soon but the forecasts aren’t looking great.”
43. Parsnips
Value: £49.4m (-0.9%) Volume: 43.1m kg (+0.1%)
New varieties could bring growth
As a product so strongly associated with Christmas, the challenge remains to establish parsnips as more of a year-round vegetable. Sales have been largely flat over the past year, but the increasing ranging of frozen and prepared parsnips could help give the category a leg up going forward.
“Healthy eating is having a positive effect and we need to continue to look for ways to attract each generation,” says Terry Hawthorn, director at Alan Bartlett & Sons. “However most of the focus is on yield and packout along with automation in the process, as with all root veg margins are tight and prices low.”
New varieties always help, and Tozer Seeds’ parsnip specialist Daniel Fait points to the interest being shown in its varieties Viking and Warrior for the early and maincrop market, which are whiter and carry more weight down to the root – characteristics sought after by consumers.
As with other root crops, a problem for the months ahead is the impact of the wet spring and hot summer on the crop, which has fallen two to three weeks late. “Just like with carrots, it looks like it will be a challenging season ahead, not just with high costs but also size and quality,” warns Hawthorn.
44. Spinach
Value: £49.3m (-2.4%) Volume: 11.4m kg (-0.5%)
Blip for last year's fastest riser
Last year spinach posted the strongest volume growth of any line in the FPJ Big 50 Products, and equally importantly, it was second only to avocados in value sales growth, enjoying a 20.6 per cent rise.
As a healthy, trendy and versatile product, the leafy green has become a firm favourite of the millennial consumer, being used in a range of dishes including salads, soups, stir-fries and smoothies. It is no surprise, therefore, that what was once considered a niche crop has become increasingly widely available.
With spinach appearing to have captured the zeitgeist of the ‘superfood’ generation, it would not have been unreasonable to expect the product’s strong sales performance to continue. However, sales now seem to have stalled as the range of superfoods favoured by consumers continues to expand.
In spite of this, Vitacress sees no reason to doubt its potential. “The future is bright, provided we continue to play to our strengths,” says brand and communications manager Sophie O’Neill. “Spinach is hugely versatile and complements many global dishes, from Asia to the Middle East and from Mexico to Scandinavia. We expect consumers to realise the many benefits of spinach as they grow more confident and experiment with cuisines from around the world.”
45. Pineapples
Value: £43.6m (+4.2%) Volume: 57.1m kg (+0.2%)
Sunnier lifestyle boosts pineapples
Pineapples are enjoying an unlikely resurgence as one of the vogue fruits du jour, and sales have again seen a healthy rise over the past year.
In March Tesco announced that pineapples was its fastest-growing fruit category, driven by the healthy eating trend, its popularity on barbecues, and even as an alternative to pumpkins for Halloween carving. The tropical fruit has also benefited from becoming a darling of design, appearing in fashion lines, and decor motifs, suggests Toni Direito, commercial director at Compagnie Fruitiere.
This year’s consistently hot summer is likely to give the category a further boost in next year’s figures, particularly if the sun continues to shine through August.
Much fruit is now appearing in pre-cut formats, with frozen also seeing a rise thanks to the home smoothie trend. Whole fruit is holding up, though the segment is smaller than it used to be, adds Direito.
There’s been innovation in the category too, with Del Monte launching a premium ‘Gold’ tinned pineapple line aimed at younger consumers. Two new products in the range include chunks and slices, sold in 435g cans with juice.
All of that combines to make a potent mix that should bring consistent sales growth for some time.
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