Woolworths has unveiled a new feature that aims at curbing an annoying problem for both customers and the retailer.
The supermarket giant is introducing a “revolutionary concept” in selected stores in Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania: “Eat Now” stickers on avocados.
While it may not sound groundbreaking, the simple Woolworths addition is aimed at helping shoppers identify when the popular fruit is perfect for eating, while also reducing food waste.
“We understand the disappointment of cutting into an unripe avocado, a tale known too well with avocado lovers,” a Woolworths spokesperson told news.com.au.
“Customers will now be able to buy their avos with confidence with the introduction of ‘Eat Now’ stickers.
“The stickers indicate the perfect ripeness today, while ‘Eat Later’ signage has been introduced in-store letting customers know it will take 2-4 days until they’re ready to be eaten.”
There are currently no plans to roll out the stickers in NSW, WA or the NT.
The supermarket explained the handy stickers build on the introduction of “Eat Now, Eat Later” signs for bananas which were introduced in store in 2021.
Similarly to the new avocado stickers, the signage lets customers know the different ripeness stages for their bananas to help them pick them at just the right time.
Reducing food waste in Australia remains a top priority for Woolworths, and the ‘Eat Now’ concept is one of the many ways it’s trying to tackle food waste.
The “Eat Now” stickers come just days after an “aggressively superior” new variety of avocados were spotted in Woolworths stores.
The GMax, a unique new breed of avo, are grown in Queensland by GreenSkin Avocados and are billed as having “perfect” flesh – an unknown trait of the more common Hass and Shepard varieties.
There’s also more of delicious green stuff thanks to the GMax’s strikingly smaller seed.
A sign in the fresh produce section at the supermarket giant’s Marrickville store, in Sydney, informed shoppers the new variety is “smashing value on Hass avocados”.
“The new GMax, more avo, less seed. Full of flavour, predictably perfect,” it read.
Woolworths said the new avocados were available from May to July to bridge the gap between the Shepard and Hass seasons.
“They have a delicious green skin and a smaller seed, which means more avo to smash through,” a spokesperson told news.com.au.
GreenSkin Avocados also claims the new breed “won’t go brown when cut”, an unsightly issue with other varieties.
“We wanted to launch this brand by highlighting how it solves the biggest dilemma for avocado buyers – the unpredictability of that moment when you cut your avocado open,” Treena Welch, the brand’s marketing director, told AdNews in May 2021.
“With GreenSkin GMax you always know that moment of truth will be a predictably perfect experience.”
The brand’s website describes the GMax as the “holy grail of avocados” – a sentiment shared by shoppers who appear to be huge fans of the new fruit variety.
One social media user described the green staple as “aggressively superior” to other varieties.
“Yum, these are so good,” another commented.
As one declared: “MOVE OVER HASS. GREENSKINS IN TOWN.”
“If you haven’t tried one you are really missing out,” someone else agreed.
Avocados are currently $1.30 each in Queensland and $1.50 per fruit in NSW, VIC, SA, NT and Tasmania. In WA, avocados are $1.70 each.