Imagine spending $400 on a luxury dining experience. You might splurge on premium caviar, fine wine, or a multi-course meal at a top-tier restaurant. Or, you could use it to buy a single pineapple.
This isn't just any pineapple; it's the Rubyglow pineapple, known for its distinctive red exterior and exceptional sweetness. Priced at $395.99 by Melissa’s Produce, a California-based specialty produce seller, the Rubyglow represents the pinnacle of luxury fruit. Developed by Del Monte over 15 years, this unique pineapple first debuted in China and recently made its way to the United States.
Launching such an extravagant fruit may seem ill-timed, given recent concerns over rising grocery prices and economic uncertainty. Yet, there is a market for high-end produce, with consumers willing to pay a premium for something special. Cindy van Rijswick, a fresh produce strategist at Rabobank, notes that there's always a niche market for luxury produce, catering to high-end restaurants, food enthusiasts, and certain online buyers.
In recent years, American consumers have shown a growing interest in premium fruit varieties. They have embraced fruits like Honeycrisp apples, Cotton Candy grapes, Sumo Citrus, and Japanese strawberries grown in vertical farms. These fruits, known for their unique flavors and textures, command higher prices in the market. However, a $400 pineapple is unprecedented.
The success of premium fruits began with the Honeycrisp apple, introduced over 30 years ago. At that time, supermarket apple options were limited to varieties like Red Delicious and Golden Delicious. Jim Luby, a horticultural science professor at the University of Minnesota, recalls how the Honeycrisp’s sweet and crisp qualities quickly made it a favorite, despite its high price. Its success paved the way for the development and acceptance of other premium fruits.
Developing new fruit varieties is a costly and time-consuming process. Researchers must breed and cross-breed plants, wait through growing cycles, and convince growers to invest in unproven fruits. The Honeycrisp apple’s success demonstrated that these efforts could pay off, leading to a more diverse and premium produce market.
The demand for high-end fruits has only grown. Over the past decade, the availability of higher-priced fruits like berries, mangoes, and avocados has increased, while cheaper fruits like apples and bananas have remained stable. Specialty fruits like Cotton Candy grapes and Sumo Citrus have even developed cult followings, with consumers willing to pay a premium for these novel options.
One of the most striking examples of luxury fruit is Oishii’s strawberries, grown in climate-controlled vertical farms. When these strawberries first became available in 2018, they were priced at $50 for a pack of eight. Despite the high price, they garnered a waitlist of thousands, highlighting the demand for perfect, high-quality produce.
Del Monte has been at the forefront of creating luxury pineapples. In 2020, they launched the Pinkglow pineapple, featuring pink flesh and sold in special packaging. Initially priced at around $50, the Pinkglow was marketed as a gift item and gained popularity on social media. Today, it can be found for as low as $8, though still considered a premium purchase for a pineapple.
Melanie Zanoza Bartelme, associate director of Mintel Food & Drink, compares the splurge on luxury fruit to buying an expensive smoothie from a high-end grocery store. For some, spending on premium produce feels justifiable because it's seen as a healthy investment. However, there's a significant gap between a $16 pineapple and a $400 one.
The Rubyglow pineapple is a bold experiment by Del Monte, testing the limits of consumer interest in luxury produce. While it may not appeal to everyone, it represents the growing trend of high-end fruit entering the mainstream market. Whether it becomes a staple or remains a niche luxury, the Rubyglow pineapple is a testament to the evolving tastes and spending habits of modern consumers.
