It makes no difference which variety of apples one buys: apples sold loose in German supermarkets cost 1.99 Euro/kg almost everywhere and are more expensive than packed apples. The German consumer organisation for Northrhine-Westfalia noticed remarkably uniform prices with trial purchases in five large German supermarkets. There is also no difference between local apples and those which come from far away.
Take for instance Real, a German Elstar, a Granny Smith from Italy or the Pink Lady from France. Here they all cost 1.99 Euro/kg. Also at Kaufland's ten varieties one price. "And while Germany had a good harvest last autumn and grower prices were low" Georg Tryba, marketing expert at the consumer organisation says. "The supermarket customers do not notice this when they buy loose apples. At the weekly markets, however, this is a totally different story" Tryba says. Even in the supermarket differences in price may be found, but only when comparing with packed apples.
This is also the solution to the puzzle round the uniform prices. In order to make things as easy as possible for the customers there is only one price for all apple varieties when sold loose, as said by Real. In this way clients can put various kinds in one bag. The remarkable result: One kg of packed apples is normally 25% cheaper than the same variety when sold loose. Does the consumer pay too much for loose apples? "There is this assumption indeed" Georg Tryba thinks. "Look somewhere else in the supermarket when buying apples. Very often somewhere else is cheaper."