A reader of our Italian newsletter, Matteo Freddi recently visited Australia and took some photos of the fresh produce sections of three supermarket chains - Coles, Woolworths and Aldi.
Matteo would also have liked to visit the wholesale markets in Adelaide and Melbourne, "but it was not possible due to the size of the country and my schedule - I took nine flights in ten days, covering 45 thousand km without ever driving!"
ColesThe photos of Coles were taken in a store located in a seaside town south of Melbourne.
"The fresh produce section was big, bright, clean and not very crowded. Products on special offer are placed in separate stands. One thing that struck me is that, like in the US, fresh vegetables like broccoli, salad, cauliflower etc. are placed on top of a layer of ice (with a plastic film to avoid direct contact). In addition, there is an island dedicated to asparagus and a fridge for convenience products."
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Coles associates products with Disney/Pixar characters a lot, "for example Planes with pears and Nemo's bananas."
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As for bananas, the produce with a wax tip differentiates eco-organic products from the normal ones. "Australian bananas are actually shorter, brighter, with a strong aroma, never green and sometimes even spotted - in Italy they wouldn't even reach the shops!"
Woolworths
Photos were taken in a big-sized store in a medium-sized town.
"Everything looks darker than in Coles. The marketing of fresh produce is focused on Disney/Pixar characters and the cooperation with chef Jamie Oliver, as the food section is filled with products from his recipes and his advice."
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"The displays of fresh vegetables and aromatic herbs are very carefully arranged. Italian seedless lemons and kiwis are also available. Just like in Coles, there are eco-bananas from Queensland. A section is dedicated to ugly produce, which are presented in a very fun way!"
For further info:
Matteo Freddi
Freddi Prod. Ortofrutticoli snc
Mob.: +39 335 7103937
Skype: matteofreddi