After the April sales trend was a bit problematic, growth in the fruit/vegetables/potatoes categories was larger again in May 2023; household spending rose by nine percent compared with the same month of the previous year. This is driven almost exclusively by higher prices paid.
The price trend is particularly high for fresh potatoes (+15%), which can nevertheless grow in sales (+7%).
Consumers also have to pay higher prices per kilo on average for fresh vegetables (+11%), although the sales level here shows a slightly positive trend compared with the same month last year (+1%). Asparagus, for example, is more in demand than in the previous year (+2% volume), despite the high price per kilo of 8.71 euros. However, sales are still far from the levels of 2021. There is probably still a long way to go before the consumer mood for such premium products rises again to pre-inflation levels. Volume growth in May 2023 is also achieved by the onion (+4%) and bell pepper (+2%) segments, while root vegetables (-8%) and tomatoes (-5%) suffer volume losses.
Sales of fresh fruit are also down in May 2023 (-3%). One of the drivers behind this is the weaker performance of strawberries. However, due to strong sales in May 2022, there is a clear base effect behind this. The high availability of goods had led to low supply prices in the previous year, which had boosted demand. By contrast, in May 2023 consumers will have to pay higher prices per kilo again, averaging €6.32/kg. In bananas, the trend of recent months has continued, with the result that the segment is growing on a price-driven basis (-1% volume, +10% sales). The overall moderate price level development of fresh fruit (+5%), meanwhile, is due to the fact that the prices paid for grapes, for example, have fallen (with a simultaneous +7% gain in sales).