Fruit Sales Soar in Heat...Peach and Jadu Up, Tomato and Grape Down

Peach Sales Increase by 300%
Tomato Vomiting Issue Causes Sharp Decline
Securing High-Quality Fruits, Discount Events

As this year’s heatwave arrived earlier than usual, demand for summer fruits at large supermarkets has significantly increased. In particular, purchases of peaches and plums surged, while sales of tomatoes and grapes sharply declined.

Watermelons are displayed at the fruit section of Lotte Mart.
[Photo by Lotte Mart]

According to Emart on the 6th, fruit sales last month showed that peach sales increased by 300% compared to the same period last year. This was followed by plums (51.6%), blueberries (14.6%), Korean melons (6.2%), and watermelons (2%) in terms of growth rate. During the same period, Lotte Mart saw a 10% increase in summer fruit sales, and Homeplus experienced a 1108% increase in plum sales. This year, the rising temperatures accelerated the growth rate of peaches and plums, advancing their shipping period by about 5 to 7 days.

On the other hand, sales of tomatoes and grapes decreased by 20.1% and 20%, respectively. Tomato purchases sharply declined after multiple cases of vomiting occurred following consumption of jujube cherry tomatoes at the end of March. This was due to the generation of a high amount of lycoperoside C, a compound similar to tomatine, caused by the cold wave earlier this year, leading to the complete disposal of that variety. However, consumers are still reluctant to buy tomatoes. As for grapes, only an early-ripening variety called Delaware is currently being shipped, causing demand to shift to peaches and plums. As a result, there were slight changes in the overall fruit sales rankings. At Emart, the top five fruits last month were watermelon, Korean melon, kiwi, tomato, and banana. Tomatoes, which ranked second in May 2021 and 2022, fell to fourth place.

Large supermarkets are making every effort to secure high-quality fruits. Emart inspected the vinyl conditions of each greenhouse farm before the summer season to check light transmittance and whether there were any damages or bruises. Lotte Mart conducts sugar content selection for all products at its distribution centers and frequently visits farms and stores to measure sugar levels. Homeplus manages about 700 fresh farms from cultivation to harvest, focusing on securing raw material quality.

Each company has launched discount events to target summer fruit demand. Emart is selling Black Mango watermelons (4?5 kg) at promotional prices of 11,900 to 12,900 KRW and Kkamang apple watermelons (under 3 kg) for 6,980 KRW until the 7th. Lotte Mart offers a 3,000 KRW discount on all watermelon products and an additional 2,000 KRW discount when paying with event cards. Additionally, greenhouse-grown plums (400g) are available at a discounted price of 9,990 KRW, down by 3,000 KRW. Homeplus provides a 3,000 KRW discount on all watermelon products and blueberries when paid with eight major cards.

A representative from the large supermarkets said, "As the heatwave has arrived earlier than usual, customer demand for summer fruits is increasing. We are selecting high-sugar fruits such as watermelon, Korean melon, and plums from the production areas and offering them at reasonable prices.”