Latest data on British apple and pear supermarket performance released
25th April 2024
Six months since the start of the British apple and pear season, British Apples & Pears Limited (BAPL) has analysed which supermarkets have surpassed last year’s performance and which are lagging behind.
Seven out of 10 surveyed supermarkets managed to increase the volume of British apples and pears bought from BAPL growers compared to the same period in 2022/23.
The top performers were Sainsbury’s, which bought 2,737 more tonnes of British apples and pears, and Lidl, buying 2,597 more tonnes than the previous year.
Underperformers
Tesco has fallen just slightly behind its 2022/23 performance, selling 714 tonnes fewer British apples and pears in the first six months of the season, which launched in October 2023. However, the store is now catching up with the other top performers.
Unfortunately, not all supermarkets have improved in terms of supporting British apples and pears and buying more this season compared to last.
The biggest underperformer was Morrisons, selling 2,613 fewer tonnes between October and March 2023/24 compared to the same period in 2022/23.
Buying British as easy as possible
BAPL’s executive chair, Ali Capper, explained: “Things are getting very tight at the top of the league table this year.
“Aldi is currently beating Tesco, but only by 333 tonnes. Sainsbury’s and Lidl are both closing the gap on the top two. It’s going to be fascinating to see how the rest of the year turns out.
“We’re delighted that most supermarkets are buying more British apples and pears than they were this time last year.
“We know that’s what consumers want, and we welcome the recent moves by some supermarkets to make it easier for online shoppers to choose British. That’s another great step towards making buying British as easy as possible.”
Every month, BAPL publishes supermarket sales data on its website to shine a light on which supermarkets are putting their buying power behind British.
The monthly data tables can be viewed here – data for apples and data for pears.
Read more fruit news.
