Pirkka cucumbers sold at a piece price arrived in K stores last November. The price per kilo of cucumbers has confused consumers.
Since November, 300-gram Pirkka cucumbers have been found in K-grocery stores, which are sold at a single price. The price of cucumbers has generally been 1.39–1.49 euros per piece, which makes their price per kilo 4.63–4.97 euros.
The price has aroused surprise among consumers, as the price per kilo of weighed cucumbers has often been cheaper than Pirkka cucumbers. For example, the price of a kilo of domestic cucumber weighed at Iso Omena’s K-Citymarket is 3.95 euros. We asked Kesko why the price per kilo of Pirkka cucumbers is so high.
– According to Finnish legislation, the consumer must be informed of the minimum weight of a piece-priced product. However, cucumbers cannot be grown to exactly 300 grams, so a single cucumber may weigh up to 400 grams. Most of the price difference is made up of this so-called weight loss, says Kesko’s director of purchasing and sales of fruits and vegetables Kenneth Forsman.
– In addition, the price difference for the time being also comes from higher production costs, because the sorting is not automated, as is the case with kilo cucumbers, he continues.
Forsman says that Pirkka cucumbers have been received quite promisingly.
– We consider the Pirkka piece cucumber to complement our current selection of cucumbers. With Pirkka-kurku, we aim to communicate to consumers a stable and reliable unit price throughout the season. In the end, consumers decide with their purchasing behavior what kind of role the product will play in our selections and whether, for example, unit-price products for vegetables will become more commonplace in Finland, as in other parts of Europe.
Pirkka cucumbers are grown in Ostrobothnia, and they are supplied by Cooperative Närpiö Vihannes.