From the desk of Mr. Rahul Dey, Head – Category Performance, Brand & Market Development
What’s Next? Isn’t it the question every industry faces, irrespective of how organized or unorganized
it is? The Fresh Fruit Industry is no different.
India is the second-largest producer of fresh fruits, blessed with Tropical, Subtropical & Temperate
climates. It has the largest irrigable land area in the world due to its vast network of rivers. The fresh
fruit industry is on the rise in the country. There has been a significant development in the areas of
state-of-the-art cold chain infrastructure and quality assurance measures.
With the rise in the literacy rate and rapidly growing urbanization, the industry is growing at a
breakneck pace. Here are some insights on the top 4 trends that are reshaping the business models
for the fresh fruit industry.
Focus on Packaging
Consumers today have become quality conscious and look forward to knowing everything about what
they consume.
Premium brands like Zespri & Rockit are doing well in India. One of the reasons for this is that they
are available in ‘convenience packs’ in the market. Consumers today prefer well-packaged products
with proper labels and product information on it. Loose products are considered low grade. The
perception is that a pre-packed product is sorted and graded and is of superior quality. Moreover, the
package size is also carefully designed to fit the dietary requirement of a typical consumer.
Lifestyle considerations
Consumers are inculcating healthy habits in their lifestyles.
All the premium fruit brands that are doing well in India have very well understood the psyche of
consumers. Consumers are looking for brands that can add to their lifestyles. The brand positioning of
fresh fruits has been on similar lines. Brands are making the consumers believe that associating with
their brand will elevate the consumers’ lifestyle. The communication goes way beyond the nutritional
value of fruit to a much bigger goal of upgrading the lifestyle.
Social Media Penetration
Social media has leveled the playing field for all and has increased the reach by leaps and bounds.
With digital platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and others, information sharing, and trade is
now available at the fingertips. These mediums have vastly impacted consumer awareness towards a
healthy lifestyle. The fruit industry is still in the nascent stages of leveraging social media compared to
the consumer goods industry. However, the fruit industry is galloping in utilizing these channels for
market penetration and increasing reach.
Point of Purchase Visibility
Visibility at the point of purchase is very crucial to trigger purchase decisions.
Although the fruit market is highly unorganized, Global Brands like Zespri and Rockit are doing
enough to ensure visibility at the POS. Even domestic upcoming consumer fruit brands like Enjoy, the
taste of nature, are taking measures in the area.
To summarize, the fresh fruit industry in India has come a long way. However, it is just the tip of the
iceberg. The industry is still highly unorganized and lacks a proper structure. There exist multiple
optimization opportunities. The brands with customer-centricity at the core of their vision will dictate
the future market.
