UK: Tesco launches 'banana hammock'
Now Tesco has come up with a display device which could herald the end of the bruised banana. From today, shoppers at 618 of the chain's largest stores will find bananas sold in a "hammock" fixture to help eliminate bruising. The hammocks, which will shortly be rolled out to all 2,282 outlets, allow the fruit – individually or in bunches – to be displayed as if on shelves.
Bananas are Britain's second-most popular food after milk with annual sales of more than £587m, according to recent data from researcher TNS.
Bruised bananas are poor-selling items and retailers are forced to throw them away in large quantities, leading to tens of thousands of pounds in wastage costs every year.
Tesco has also carried out research which reveals shoppers want more choice when it comes to buying their favourite fruit. Instead of buying a green or yellow banana, the retailer says, shoppers now want a variety of colours.
Technological advances in transportation storage mean there is now a much bigger choice in the range of ripeness of bananas exported to the UK.
Previous attempts to change the display and packaging of bananas have involved transparent plastic cases in which consumers can store them individually to avoid seepage. There was also a vogue for wooden or metal banana "hangers" which allowed the fruit to ripen without damaging other fruit in the bowl.
Source: www.theguardian.com
