Buying in season

downdowndown on 23/06/2016 - 21:24

Bananas are cheap now and so good.
I try and buy when in season when prices are good. But can anyone shed light on how specific markets operate?

For example: Avocados were really cheap around Christmas last year and then rose astronomically and have now fallen back.
Apparently producers moved their harvesting forward in anticipation of Christmas demand creating oversupply then shortage afterwards.

This was the article that made me think about this again: http://m.smh.com.au/business/retail/aldi-trumps-coles-woolwo…

Food & Grocery

Comments

  • Diji1 on 23/06/2016 - 22:45

    That's the free market "working" for you.

    I'm not even sure if buying seasonally is a thing at supermarkets anymore. Probably is at your greengrocers and produce markets though still.

    Toorak butcher Peter Bouchier claims meat discounting at the major supermarket chains is disgusting.

    Please.

    I'll gladly pay more for meat if it's always better. Problem is it isn't most of the time. Like I know of one butcher that applies to in SA.

    • downdowndown on 23/06/2016 - 22:57

      I would too.
      But $7 for an avocado or $8 for a punnet of blueberries when they were a quarter of the price a week before?
      I guess I am looking for insights from people in the industry.
      Not so much interested in meat despite the article I linked to focusing on that. That was more for the ridiculously good price of bananas right now… even though they have doubled from $1 to $2 per kilo.

      • retiredfeline on 23/06/2016 - 23:06

        Do you think the recent East Coast storms might have disrupted the supply chain? Perishables are sensitive to a few days difference since they cannot be stockpiled.

        • downdowndown on 23/06/2016 - 23:15

          No
          $2 is still cheap.
          I am looking for more macro views. Ones probably insiders only know.
          Of course there are a myriad of reasons prices would fluctuate.
          And it is a given with fresh food. it is seasonal. But seasons are more "controlled" these days. Like the storage of apples.
          Looking to hear from people who have knowledge of the industry.

        • retiredfeline on 23/06/2016 - 23:20

          @downdowndown: Apples are not a good example of a quickly perishing fruit. Try something like bananas. Ever tried saving bananas in the fridge?

        • downdowndown on 23/06/2016 - 23:22

          I have fallen into a rabbit hole… full of cheap bananas

        • retiredfeline on 23/06/2016 - 23:26

          @downdowndown: $2-2.5 is actually what I regard as a reasonable price. $1 is cheap, and > $3 is expensive.

  • inherentchoice on 24/06/2016 - 10:55

    Things like grapes and apples can be kept in super cold storage and sold all year round.

    Banana supply can be disrupted by cyclones in Northern Australia, especially North Queensland.

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