Good Honest value...celebrating home grown produce

When ASDA rolled our their set of farming pledges, including to buy british where ever possible and to work in partnership with suppliers to improve production innovation, AMS took their words to heart and with the help of their suppleirs decided to not just get as much British products on the shelf as possible, but get customers buying and supporting local growers. The result has been shoppers at over forty stores buying locally grown strawberries and raspberries at times during this season.

Season review berries

The UK season started two weeks earlier than expected with ASDA. As has been the case for the last two years, Glasshouse strawberry was run as a seperate line to main line 227g strawberry. Retail comparisons were £1.47 for glasshouse and 97p for Spanish, both 227g. The glasshouse strawberry sales were up 100% year on year, this was mainly supported by prominent UK punnet labeling and in store new season advertising.

Punnet ranges for berries

There have been many chanes to the UK punnet ranges across the highi street this year. Both AMS and ASDA decided that we would stick with our current range as it is tried and tested and fits well with the returnable tray scheme that we operate for UK growers. In addition to the basic punnet range AMS and ASDA decided to trial a "one packsize" intiative during the main Uk season in 2003. Initial indications and customer reactions have been good with sales increases of circa 10% year on year.

Organic review
At AMS we have seen our organic range with ASDA increase to five lines in 2003, namely Strawberry, Plum, Grape, Kiwi and Avocado. Sales with ASDA have increased by 40% year on year and we hope to also add Nectarine, peach and Apricots to the range late in 2003.

Winbledon
Tim may not have progressed further than the quarter finals at this years Wimbledon, but the great british strawberry was still holding its own right through to the final day. In the first week of the tournament ASDA stores sold more strawberries than ever previously recorded for one week. It seems AMS are successfully putting berries on the everyday shopping list of the ASDA customer and indiciations are that growth is expected to increase and in all honesty "the sky is the limit".

Summer 2003