Banana war in Boston?
Amsden of Chelsea, Ma.-based New England Banana Co. says that while supplies of bananas are steady, demand isn’t what it used to be. “We’re in the middle of that war. All the chains here are at .39 cents/lb. and it’s kind of hurting,” says Amsden. “It’s been going on like this for awhile and I don’t see any end to it anytime soon. Obviously retailers are getting some very attractive pricing from major importers and it’s hurting all the small guys.”
Amsden maintains that there’s no money in bananas despite the fact that bananas are one of the top selling items in the produce department. “It’s an item that we carry because we’re a banana company but it’s about 1/3 of our business now at best,” he says.
Too much variety?
Part of the banana war can be blamed on the wide variety of fruits and vegetables available in today’s produce aisles. “There are other items out there now—it’s not like it was years ago,” he says. “Things that were only seasonal are now being brought in via imports. But there are other items out there now. It’s not like it was years ago. Things that were only seasonal are now being brought via imports. There’s a greater variety out there which affects things. I don’t see it turning around in the near future.”
Rise of the plantain
At the same time, that very trend is what continues to boost interest in a sister product of the bananas: the plantain, an item that the New England company has seen significant pick up in. “We sell a lot of plantains for cooking—we probably sell as many plantains as we sell bananas,” he says. “The momentum’s been building.”
For more information:
Craig Amsden
New England Banana Co.
Tel: +1 617 889-7000
nebananaco@gmail.com