An attractive price can secure the first purchase. The challenge lies in securing a second. If the fruit doesn't meet expectations, that offer is no longer enough to justify repeat business.

In an industry that will continue to see increased volume, simply selling more once won't solve the challenge. The category needs repeat customers who find a consistent experience to sustain their purchasing habits.

That was one of the key points that Christoph Stricker of EDEKA brought to the IBO World Blueberry Forum, held during Fruit Attraction 2026 in Madrid. His presentation addressed what drives, what hinders, and what encourages repurchases of blueberries. blueberries In modern retail, everything from price and product condition to brand, presentation, and the consumer experience.

The price opens the purchase, but it doesn't guarantee that the consumer will return.

Stricker started with a variable that the retail industry knows well: “Price, price, price. I say that price is important.”

He didn't question its weight in the purchase decision. His argument was that a good offer loses its effectiveness if the fruit doesn't meet expectations and some of the product ends up being discarded. The consumer may have paid a good price, but if the experience isn't satisfactory, the incentive to repeat the purchase weakens.

In that same part of his presentation, he referred to the appropriate product, the degree of ripeness, the temperature, and the condition in which the fruit reaches the buyer. These are distinct variables, but they converge on the same point: how the consumer ultimately receives the blueberry they purchased.

And when the product fails, the damage is not limited to that container.

When the product fails to deliver, the brand suffers as well.

Stricker brought that relationship into the realm of trust. He warned that a brand loses value when the product fails to deliver on its promises to the consumer, a particularly sensitive observation in a category where purchases can be repeated numerous times throughout the year.

The experience, therefore, doesn't end at the supermarket checkout. What the shopper finds afterward, upon opening the package, can either reinforce or weaken their willingness to choose the product again.

This point also changes how quality is viewed from a retail perspective. It's not just about the fruit meeting a commercial specification upon entering the supermarket, but about it maintaining the necessary conditions to meet the expectations it generated at the time of purchase.

Repurchase is also built on experience

Stricker then broadened the discussion to include the way in which the blueberry It is presented to the consumer. During her presentation, she spoke about its use at breakfast, the ease of having it available at home, and the various occasions on which it can be incorporated into daily consumption.

“Our job is to explain to the consumer that buying blueberries is an experience.”

Their approach suggests that the category shouldn't rely solely on associating blueberries with healthy eating. There's also room to communicate how and when the product is consumed, and what kind of experience it delivers once it arrives at the home.

This reading is relevant for an industry that needs to expand consumption while simultaneously increasing fruit availability. Getting the buyer to incorporate the blueberry Offering it at more times throughout the day can help develop the category, but that opportunity depends on the product performing well when it is finally consumed.

Stricker even linked that experience to a willingness to pay: "And, to be honest, I'm also willing to pay more if I'm going to have a good experience."

The statement doesn't allow for a general price premium to be applied to all consumers. It does, however, clearly illustrate the reasoning Stricker presented at the forum: price remains important, but a positive experience provides the buyer with additional reasons to choose the product again.

The experience begins before the gondola

The retail perspective inevitably leads back along the supply chain. The ripeness, temperature, condition, and presentation of the fruit upon arrival are all the result of decisions made before the packaging reaches the consumer.

For producers and exporters, this connects the final experience with harvest management, post-harvest handling, and material selection, among other decisions that affect the condition in which the blueberry It reaches the market. It doesn't mean that a single one of those variables determines repurchase, but rather that the experience the consumer evaluates is the final result of a chain that began much earlier.

In the store, that chain encounters another component: product presentation and the shopping experience. Stricker summarized it from a retail perspective: “I always say that when you walk into a store, you have to feel good. There’s an emotion.”

The IBO Global Blueberry Report 2026 reflects a similar tension. Various industry players warn that some retailers still don't fully recognize the differences between cultivars and quality categories, even though a better product experience can encourage repeat purchases. Stricker placed the blueberry among the categories with growth potential, but it left part of that development in the hands of the industry itself and its ability to generate better opportunities on the shelf.

For a business that still has room to grow, the challenge isn't just getting that first sale. It's ensuring the fruit meets expectations enough to keep the customer coming back and that purchase eventually becomes a habit.

Read also:

• IBO World Blueberry Forum: More supply, less margin for error, the blueberry changes scale at Fruit Attraction 2026
• Miguel Bentín at Fruit Attraction 2026: “The peak of the Peruvian blueberry will be equal to or less than predicted”
• Málaga Fruit Day: more blueberries and better genetics raise the logistical demands
• Blueberries Consulting kicks off its 2027 business agenda at Fruit Attraction
• Fruit Attraction 2026: Chilean blueberries redefine their competitiveness through genetics, condition, and new markets
• Fruit Attraction 2026: Mexico seeks greater value for its blueberries through segmentation, quality, and market.