On Thursday and Friday last week, we visited several supermarkets in Warsaw, including Carrefour, Lidl, Auchan and Piotr i Pawel. Carrefour, Auchan and Lidl are of course well-known names in the world of retail and also major competitors. Piotr i Pawel focuses more on quality than price and stands out for its prime quality products and delicacies. Other well-known retailers in Warsaw are Tesco and Biedronka. We could not take pictures everywhere, but we also visited their fruit and vegetables departments. In terms of quality, Tesco's standards are quite high and Auchan's stand a little lower. Most supermarket vegetables come from Poland itself or Spain. Sometimes Dutch or Belgian products are also to be found, including aubergines, tomatoes and pears. (1 zloty = 25 cents). The amount of tomatoes on offer at various supermarkets was striking, presented in various types of containers, heart shaped plastic boxes and cardboard boxes.
Warsaw has over 2 million inhabitants. Many people who live in Warsaw have a good income, so they are able to spend more at supermarkets. Few can be called rich, but the middle class is growing. The focus of supermarkets in recent years has been on convenience products, such as fresh cut fruits and vegetables and salads. One of this sector's major suppliers is the Polish company AVIT's Fresh Line.
Auchan
Auchan had a wide supply of products that were well displayed. The general quality of the produce was average. There were several kinds of citrus from Spain, Greece and Turkey. Lemons were sold loose or in attractive plastic packages of four. Kiwis came from Greece and were sold for between 0.68 and 0.99 zloty. Avocados came from Spain and Greece. The bananas from Fyffes were wrapped in plastic bags, while SCB bananas were displayed in boxes, although not too nicely presented. Grapefruits came from Turkey and grapes from India and Chile. Grape prices ranged from 8 to 13.49 zlotzy. Tomatoes were packed in various types of boxes. Pineapples were Costa Rican and large in size, selling for 8.49 zloty (2.10 Euro). Watermelons cost 2.98 zloty and came also from Costa Rica. There were also all kinds of apples and cabbages.Click here for pictures of Auchan's fruit and vegetable section
Piotr i Pawel
This supermarket had Dutch tomatoes on offer. For 5.99 zloty (1.50 Euro) consumers could purchase a kilo of tomatoes, and for 8.99 (2.25 Euro) one could buy a kilo of Chilean Red Globe grapes. Aubergines came from the Netherlands and their price stood at 8.99 zloty per kilo (2.25 Euro). These supermarkets also had special packages used in Poland for soup. It was all quite nicely presented. Bananas cost 5.79 zloty per kilo (1.45 Euro) and there was no banana war. Apples were available loose and in packs of four. The price of a bowl of cut fruit was higher than 3.50 Euro. Peppers cost 8.99 zloty (2.25 Euro) per kilo.
Piotr i Pawel
This supermarket had Dutch tomatoes on offer. For 5.99 zloty (1.50 Euro) consumers could purchase a kilo of tomatoes, and for 8.99 (2.25 Euro) one could buy a kilo of Chilean Red Globe grapes. Aubergines came from the Netherlands and their price stood at 8.99 zloty per kilo (2.25 Euro). These supermarkets also had special packages used in Poland for soup. It was all quite nicely presented. Bananas cost 5.79 zloty per kilo (1.45 Euro) and there was no banana war. Apples were available loose and in packs of four. The price of a bowl of cut fruit was higher than 3.50 Euro. Peppers cost 8.99 zloty (2.25 Euro) per kilo.Carrefour
Carrefour's products were presented in high stacks. The retailer had Chiquita bananas. Tomatoes were sold under the brand Suncrops, from France. Cucumbers cost 5.49 zloty (1.35 Euro). The range of herbs, which were sold in jars, was huge. It was also possible to purchase different kinds of oil. Lemons and Clementines were presented in attractive packaging. Exotics and various specialties were in a separate section and were individually packed. There was a mix available with two apples and two pears together. Radish was very cheap, just 0.99 zloty and potatoes also stood at that price. Apples came not only from Poland, but also from Italy. The quality of the Spanish strawberries was outstanding, despite their appearance.Lidl
Perhaps it was a coincidence, but Lidl was the only supermarket in which two people were constantly at the fruit and vegetables section while we visited the store. They presented the products in as neat a manner as possible. It was hard to keep track of it all, as it was really busy at the section. Lidl had a separate section for organic products. These were marketed under the brand Biotrend. The cherry tomatoes were on sale and were sold for 2.49 zloty. There were a lot of Spanish vegetables. The bananas were Chiquita brand and cost 4.85 Zloty (1.20 Euro). Pears were from Belgium, but also from Chile. The latter were packed in plastic bags.