A few months ago, by analysing the strawberry sales figures of our sister company Lubera, we tried to give some indications of a standard distribution of strawberry types (white flowering, red flowering, June bearing and everbearing, etc.). We are testing the same again with raspberries and blackberries in order to give you an overview of the demand. The corresponding figures can then serve as a reference point for your own assortment planning, as they are based on real sales figures. Of course, these figures can vary from location to location and from sales environment to environment.
How do we get these data and how typical are they?
Through our sister company Lubera, we are in a unique position as a young plant supplier to evaluate real sales data to end consumers. Ten months a year, raspberries and blackberries are offered for sale to home gardeners via lubera.com. In addition, 90% of the corresponding assortments are always available. For the following data, we have evaluated the plant sales of the past 12 months from the entire DACH region.
The only question that remains is how typical or representative these figures are and how they really reflect real demand. We don't want to commit ourselves at all to this question; for our sister company, the figures collected represent reality. However, this does not mean that it is the only valid truth. The following figures are intended to help you, as our young plant customers, to make a decision or to point the way ahead. After all, the natural demand is ultimately very much dependent on our own location conditions and the clientele.
What types of raspberries did we study?
Picture: floricane raspberry Sanibelle®
Of course, it makes little sense to break the sales figures down to individual varieties, so we have cumulated data on sales (all sales in the DACH region) and compared them as follows:
- Summer raspberries vs. autumn raspberries
- Raspberries according to growth height
- Raspberries according to colour and harvest period
- Blackberries according to groups
All evaluated data come from the sales of the last 12 months. The figures shown in the tables are always percentages.
Summer raspberries compared to autumn raspberries
The figures presented here most probably correspond to the gut feeling of most gardeners that autumn raspberries actually dominate the market, and this is also reflected in the sales figures. More than 2/3 of the raspberry plants sold are varieties of autumn raspberries.
| Summer Raspberries | Autumn Raspberries | |
| Share of total sales | 29 | 71 |
Figures are always in per cent
Overall, these sales figures are also quite logical. In recent years, the cultivation of autumn raspberries has taken a big step forward, not only in terms of fruit quality, but also in terms of the colour spectrum and ripening time.
In addition, today's buyers are moving away more and more from the cultivation knowledge of the previous generation and thus the autumn raspberries are much more attractive, since the basic care of these varieties is much less time-consuming. At the same time it should be mentioned that summer raspberries are still ahead of autumn raspberries in terms of taste and aroma.
Comparison of raspberries according to fruit colour and harvest period
Picture: diversity of colours in the raspberry market
Why are (almost) only red raspberries offered in food retailing? This question is quite easy to answer: because the vast majority of end consumers want it that way. There are some consumers who would buy raspberries of a different colour, but their number is too small to be worthwhile for the big chains.
The situation is very similar in the plant world. For the majority of home gardeners, a raspberry has to be red, but not for everyone, and that is reflected in the sales figures.
| Summer Raspberries | Autumn Raspberries | Total | |
| Red | 88 | 78 | 83 |
| Yellow | -- | 12 | 6 |
| Purple/black | 12 | 10 | 11 |
Figures are always in per cent
As mentioned, the assortment basis in the raspberry market consists of red raspberries. However, raspberry varieties in other colours can help to increase sales of red raspberries. The motto is this: 'small sells big'. Particularly interesting and surprising here is the quite high proportion of purple/black raspberries, both the summer raspberries (black) and the autumn raspberries (purple) and thus similar sales figures to the yellow raspberries.
Comparison of raspberries according to the growth height
Picture: the Lowberry® assortment, perfect for patio
Just as interesting as the view of the colours is the view of the different growth types. Here, too, the 'classic' raspberries naturally dominate, but the other growth types were able to secure a certain share of the raspberry market. It is also very astonishing that the new group of Schlaraffia® raspberries already accounts for almost 10% of total sales within one year. Here, the significantly simplified care and the informal application possibilities most likely play an important role as well.
| Lowberry® (< 1m) | Schlaraffia® (< 1.5 m) | Strong Growing (> 1.8 m) | |
| Share of total sales | 9 | 9 | 82 |
Figures are always in per cent
The Lowberry® raspberry group was also able to position itself quite stably on the market. However, it should be noted that this raspberry group is not the entire market, nor is it an independent market. Lowberry® raspberries are a component of the entire raspberry market and are being added as a new segment. It should also be noted that raspberries are always offered in combination with other plant species from the Lowberry® group in order to be able to offer a self-contained assortment.
Comparison of the sales figures raspberries vs. blackberries
As one could already guess in advance, the raspberry sales are clearly ahead of the blackberry sales. This is mainly due to the different handling and planting methods in the home garden.
| Raspberries (Total) | Blackberries (Total) | |
| Share of total sales | 89 | 11 |
Figures are always in per cent
Raspberries are still planted in the home garden today, as the table above shows, as far as possible as a group planting (single rows or in a bed). Blackberries, on the other hand, are predominantly planted as solitary plants, i.e. in individual locations. Therefore, by nature, more raspberry plants are needed than blackberry plants (exceptions excluded).
Comparison of blackberries according to groups
Picture: blackberry Navaho® Summerlong®
As can be seen from the previous table, blackberries do not necessarily have the same sales figures as raspberries. Nevertheless, blackberries are an important and not to be underestimated group of soft fruits.
| Autumn Blackberries | Standards | Blackberry Hybrids | Lowberry® | Special Colours | |
| Share of total sales | 4 | 66 | 17 | 11 | 2 |
Figures are always in per cent
As can be seen from the table, the autumn blackberries, whose fruits ripen on the one-year/this year's canes, have by far not yet reached the status of the autumn raspberries. This may be mainly due to the fact that at the moment only the first and second generation of autumn blackberries are established on the market and here the breeding is about 30 years behind. In comparison, the first market-relevant autumn raspberry 'Autumn Bliss' was launched in 1989. Another interesting finding is that the blackberry hybrids have a certain significance with almost 20%.
As with raspberries, the Lowberry® group has a fairly constant size and approximately the same market share as blackberries. Here too, the Lowberry® group is a component and a separate segment of the blackberry market and is at best offered as a complete assortment with other plant species.
Conclusion
The total figures presented are of course only a snapshot of an individual company, but they are sales directly to the final consumer. Now, however, each market participant must decide for himself/herself how our evaluations are to be interpreted and what conclusions are to be drawn from them.
Even we as a young plant supplier have analysed the figures, but nevertheless we do not know the absolute truth behind them. We only want to give you a basis for planning what a raspberry and blackberry assortment can look like. For the detailed choice of varieties, we are happy to be personally available to you.
