Crai: Italian stone fruit preferences

In apricots, reports Roberto Bonalumi, produce manager for the Italian retail chain Crai, the trend has been towards brightly coloured varieties with the classic red tone, that are also full of flavour and aroma. The quality varieties are receiving a positive reception in the market, despite a high level of price differentiation between the different varieties.

In production, high-yielding but poor-quality varieties must be abandoned. As regards peaches and nectarines, darkerskinned varieties are preferred. “It is still too early to draw conclusions, although we can say that for Crai the upward sales trend conti – nues and we hope that the uncertain climate of recent times will not create problems,” Bonalumi said.

In assortments, these products are being offered either loose, or packed into baskets of various sizes, with a focus on quality in both cases. The tendency for the baskets is to use slightly smaller fruit with limited varia – tion, so as to be able to offer customers an attractive price.

“Obviously, the assortments also include PDO and PGI products, which can present particular quality characteristics: for example, the Bivona peach, typical local products and native varieties such as the green nectarines Sbergia and Merendella, as well as flat peaches and nectarines, sales of which continue to increase year on year,” Bonalumi said.

This article appeared in edition 146 of Eurofresh Distribution magazine. Read more from that edition online here.
You might also like to read: CRAI: 3400 small stores in a big network with high quality.