The banana is one of the cheapest fruits to buy in Greece, leading to good sales and a steady consumption pace, according to Mr. Pantelis Iliadis, owner of Iliadis Bananes, which specializes in banana ripening and importing exotic fruits and vegetables: "Banana prices are very competitive. They are one of the most economical fruits to buy in Greece. At the moment, banana importers in Greece buy the less famous banana brands at 0,80 euros/kg, while the most famous brands cost us about 1,10 euros/kg."
Mr. Iliadis manages 45 ripening chambers in the area of the Central Market of Athens, from where he supplies his customers all over Greece. He is preparing for a rise in consumption during Christmas. As he says: "We source our bananas from Chiquita Hellas and Dole Hellas, and we expect that during the next weeks, demand will rise by about 10-15% compared to the current level. This demand will come from all our buyers' categories, but especially from supermarkets. However, we see no difference in prices. This is also the case for pineapples, which are our other primary product."
Although the Christmas sales trend of these two fruits is similar, there are significant differences in their general marketing. "Î’ananas are well appreciated among Greek consumers, who express stable demand across all market and price categories. Both cheaper and more expensive brands have a significant market share, and we do not expect this balance to change. The most important banana-growing country for us is Ecuador. We have been informed that prices there may surge after the Christmas festive period, but not enough to affect our business."
This is not the case for pineapples. "Pineapples come from Costa Rica. You can find some air-imported pineapples, but the Greek importers pay no less than 5 euros/kg for them. There are very few people who are willing to pay such an amount of money. Consequently, their market share is very small. Our company imports only pineapples shipped by boat, which currently cost 0,90 euros/kg."
Finally, in contrast to what one might expect, Christmas does not increase the demand for limes. "Bars, restaurants, hotels, and similar market channels prefer to use small lemons to make cocktails and other drinks. The hot period for importing limes in Greece is summer. This is when limes are sought by the HoReCa sector to satisfy the needs generated by the enormous wave of incoming tourism," Mr. Iliadis concludes.
For more information:
Pantelis Iliadis
Iliadis Bananes
Tel: +30 210 482 3070
Email: [email protected]