Due to double-digit inflation in the food sector, the European apple market has been forced to adapt to domestic realities: heavily discounted promotions, increased presence of private labels and bagged fruit, and downgrades... In this unprecedented context, the non-profit association, Pink Lady Europe, announced the fruit has maintained its position with sales volume of 180,000 tons of apples, 3% more than the previous season. 

This volume enables the apple variety to maintain a stable or slightly declining market share while consolidating its leading position in the premium segment. The presence of Pink Lady in various European markets was maintained, with a penetration rate of 50% in Ireland and over 20% in Denmark, Belgium, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

This year, the brand had 742 promotional actions, close to the figures for the 2020-2021 season, a historic year in terms of both volume and number of promotions. 

These actions involved 12% of total volumes and focused not only on prices but also on engagement, transparency, and proximity, all values shared with its European consumers. In the “Sponsor a Tree” campaign, for example, the number of sponsors has increased (more than 5,500 in Europe this year) and a stable relationship has been established with each of them around the brand's commitments, with a reach of more than 1.5 million consumers and 2.5 tons of Pink Lady apples sponsored. 

The dynamism in stores has been accompanied by a new media campaign with a presence on television and digital media in November and February, followed by a first radio campaign that had a great impact in spring. 

In addition, the association, which brings together the stakeholders of the network, informs that several press and magazine campaigns throughout the season generated more than 300 million contacts around the brand platform "Pink Lady, what can Pink Lady do for you today?" 

Pink Lady Europe is pursuing its 2030 carbon neutrality plan, working on soil regeneration, supporting the new generation of apple growers within the network, and is about to take the plunge and switch to compostable stickers for fruit starting next season.  

The association as a whole supports the charter of commitments for a more sustainable vision of production. 

Therefore, despite a season affected by the current economic context, Pink Lady Europe defends its position and continues to create value throughout the sector, from the fields to the consumers. 

Target: 2023/2024 season. To date, growth and fruit load on the tree are good and the potential volume of quality Pink Lady apples in the fields is estimated at around 225,000 tons. Now it is the growers' turn to keep an eye on the arrival of the summer heat and manage irrigation in the best possible way.