With more than four decades of experience in the fruit industry, Manuel José Alcaíno has closely followed the evolution of destination markets, varietal changes and the growing competition between supplier countries.

As founder and president of Decofrut, a company specializing in quality services and market information for the fruit industry, he has observed how factors that for years have influenced competitiveness — such as available volume, seasonality or arrival time — now coexist with growing demands linked to quality and consumer response.

According to Alcaíno, in this scenario the consumer experience will have an increasingly greater impact on the ability of different origins to differentiate themselves.

Consumer experience as a competitive factor

When asked about the main factors that will define the leadership of exporting countries during the next decade, Alcaíno warns that there is no single variable.

“I think there are several elements, such as the size of the supply, seasonality, nutritional elements, logistical aspects, among others, but from my point of view, the aspect that will lead is the consumption experience.”

To explain this idea, he mentions what he calls the “Autumn Crisp factor,” referring to the effect that a recognizable combination of texture and flavor can have on consumer expectations for table grapes.

In his opinion, similar phenomena are beginning to be observed in other species and also in blueberries.

“It can be explained in some way as the 'Autumn Crisp factor', which changed the paradigm of table grape consumption, and we have seen it in blueberries from Peru —and the new Chilean varieties too—, in Cherry Plums and the new sweet plum varieties.”

Alcaíno emphasizes, however, that a good consumer experience does not depend solely on genetics. Production decisions, harvest time, logistics, and the condition in which the fruit arrives at the market also play a role.

“This is not exclusive to new varieties; it also occurs with kiwis and avocados harvested with better potential for good ripeness; in cherries, a transit time that allows eating the fruit before it deteriorates, especially with the Regina variety.”

Quality, in its interpretation, must then be understood as the result of a complete chain and not only as a varietal characteristic.

"The key today is to integrate the entire chain to achieve a good consumer experience; that, in my opinion, is the basis of leadership."

Manuel José Alcaíno – President of Decofrut

When increasing supply is no longer enough

The increasing availability of fruit from diverse origins is also altering the competitive landscape. According to Alcaíno, simply increasing supply does not guarantee an advantage if the product does not consistently meet market expectations.

When asked if international competition is shifting from volume to factors such as quality, genetics, and consumer experience, his answer is clear: “Clearly.”

A growing supply, in that logic, must be accompanied by attributes capable of sustaining consumer preference and differentiating the product from other alternatives available in the market.

Genetics is important, but it does not act in isolation: its commercial value is ultimately expressed in the fruit's ability to maintain condition and sensory attributes throughout the chain.

The challenge for Chilean blueberries

When applying this discussion to blueberries, Alcaíno places special emphasis on firmness.

In his opinion, attributes such as size, sugar or bloom lose their ability to compensate for a soft fruit condition.

"I think the space for soft fruit has disappeared, no matter how much it has size, sugar or bloom."

In their analysis, one of the strengths shown by the Peruvian offer is precisely the combination of firmness and caliber.

“We see it with the Peruvian offer today, which dominates the market based on firmness and caliber.”

For Chile, however, Alcaíno identifies a possibility for differentiation that does not necessarily involve competing in fruit size, but rather strengthening a combination of firmness and flavor.

"If we can offer a firm blueberry in Chile, even if it doesn't have the large size of those from Peru, but that is also sweet, an aspect that Peruvian fruit in general lacks, I think we can promote the concept of sweetness and thus regain a good part of the lost leadership."

From their perspective, the opportunity for Chile would therefore lie in building a differentiation that combines firmness and a recognizable flavor expression for the consumer.

This approach opens up a relevant discussion for the Chilean industry: the value proposition should not rely solely on size, but also on sensory attributes capable of sustaining purchase preference.

In that logic, firmness and flavor cease to be isolated variables and become part of a product proposition that must be maintained from the field to the destination.

Competitiveness is at stake throughout the entire chain.

Alcaíno's perspective thus places competitiveness beyond a single isolated attribute. Genetics, harvest, post-harvest handling, logistics, and arrival condition are all part of the same equation, the result of which is ultimately verified by the consumer.

In the words of the president of Decofrut: “The key today is to integrate the entire chain to achieve a good consumer experience; there, in my opinion, lies the basis of leadership.”