The consumption of fresh apples in Europe has slowed down, so the Blue Whale Group wants to play an active part in reversing the trend by acting as a partner of choice for retailers. Blue Whale carries out market research aimed initially at identifying consumer expectations, before proposing concrete solutions to revitalize the shelves. "We are losing consumers every year," explains Christelle Bertin, marketing and communications director at Blue Whale. "It is becoming essential to revitalize the apple section and its range. To this end, we must understand consumers and their expectations in terms of products and shopping experience. It is the only way for us to be able to revitalize consumption."
The Blue Whale team at Fruit Logistica 2024
What have the various Blue Whale studies brought to light?
Since 2022, Blue Whale has carried out large-scale studies in France and several other countries around the world in order to develop its knowledge of consumers and understand their expectations. "These studies have enabled us to make a number of observations. There are three main reasons why consumers have moved away from eating apples. First and foremost, they have been disappointed in terms of taste and texture. Apples have also become commonplace and consumers turn to other types of fruit. And finally, there are many different consumer profiles, with different expectations to satisfy."
A wide range of varieties can "bring strength to the shelf"
Based on these studies and their focus on studying and understanding consumers, Blue Whale is convinced of one thing. "There are about 100 varieties on the global apple market and over 70 varieties branded through clubs. All these varieties are different and can bring strength to the shelf if the consumer approach is given priority. To boost consumption, we have been rethinking the way we offer assortments to our clients. Our relevant offer in terms of taste/organoleptic qualities goes hand in hand with activation work inside and outside of the point of sale. It is a winning combination to reach the hearts of consumers!"
+46% turnover in the apple segment for chains that deployed Blue Whale's approach
In concrete terms, with the aim to revitalize the retail shelves, Blue Whale has offered several French chains the opportunity to test its categorical approach. "Through a clear structuring of the offer and a segmentation by taste (sweet, balanced, tart varieties), an overall recommendation for the apple section (assortment, merchandising, promotions) based on knowledge of expectations and consumer behavior, we have proof that this works! The result was a 46% increase in turnover in the apple category compared with shops that did not deploy Blue Whale's categorical approach. This is proof that the different varieties bring additional benefits to the shelves while meeting different consumer expectations."
What does the future hold?
Blue Whale is convinced that varietal innovation is the key to adapting the range to the changing expectations of consumers around the world and to meeting the agronomic challenges of tomorrow. "Our assessment is based on characterizing the agronomic performance of varieties in our pilot orchards and on organoleptic tests to characterize varieties according to consumer tastes. To carry out our projects, we work with experts, including the ESA in Angers (a French agronomic scientific body). They support us in the sensory characterization of our new trial varieties."
"Apple varieties bring additional benefits to the fruit section if the offer is designed with consumer satisfaction in mind. To revitalize the department, the apple offer needs to be designed with consumer satisfaction in mind. By rethinking their assortments, retailers can boost sales. The categorical approach developed by Blue Whale has been tested and approved on the French market... and it works!"
For more information:
Christelle Bertin
Blue Whale
Phone: +33 (0)5 63 21 56 56