Six months into the 2024/25 British apple and pear season, competition for the British Apples & Pears Limited (BAPL) Retailer of the Year title is intensifying. BAPL, which represents UK growers, has released its latest data tracking how many British apples and pears UK supermarkets have purchased from September 2024 through February 2025—and the results are striking.
Asda leads in growth
Among the standout performances, Asda has shown remarkable progress. The retailer has nearly doubled its volume of British apples this season compared to the same period last year, increasing from 4,086 tons (September 2023 to February 2024) to 8,079 tons in the current season.
Other retailers show strong growth
Lidl, Sainsbury's, and M&S have also significantly increased their purchases of British apples during the first half of the current season compared to the same period two years ago (2022/23). Lidl's volume rose by 2,225 tons, Sainsbury's by 2,189 tons, and M&S by 1,090 tons, highlighting a broader trend of growing support for homegrown produce among major retailers.
Aldi narrowly leads total volume
When combining both British apple and pear volumes, Aldi currently holds a narrow lead over Tesco. Aldi recorded 18,059 tons compared to Tesco's 17,980 tons—a difference of just 79 tonnes.
Market share outperformance
To account for differences in retailer size, BAPL also compares each supermarket's share of British apple and pear sales with its overall grocery market share. Aldi, with a 10.3% grocery market share, is responsible for 19.1% of British apple and pear sales—almost double its market share.
"Aldi's top fruit market share is almost double their grocery share, which is fabulous," said Ali Capper of BAPL. "But Lidl has done even better. Lidl's grocery market share is 7.3%, but they've sold 16.5% of all British apples and pears. That's more than double their grocery share. If Tesco were doing as well as that, they would be selling over 50% of all British apples and pears."
As the season continues, all eyes will be on the UK's leading supermarkets to see who will take the crown as the top supporter of British apple and pear growers.
© BAPFor more informationBritish Apples and Pears
Tel: +44 01507 353778
email: admin@britishapplesandpears.co.uk
www.britishapplesandpears.co.uk