City’super, a popular supermarket in Hong Kong, was accused of harming the environment after photos of its strawberry gift boxes spread online, South China Morning Post reports.
City’super was selling the individually-packaged strawberries for 168 HK dollars each, which woulbe be $21.70 in US currency. The supermarket chain attempted to defend its new product.
A spokesperson said, “We have noted recent customer feedback [about] the packaging and we will seek to strike a balance between packaging and food protection.”
The product consisted of a plastic-covered carton box filled with a straw nest and the strawberry sitting prettily on a Styrofoam sleeve.
City’super responded to the criticism to SCMP. They said that the strawberry gift box came from Japan. Due to the fact that each of the strawberries were of premium grade, each one had to be packed separately. The individual packaging would also preserve its quality for they are very rare and fragile.
The spokesperson for the supermarket said, “From Kotoka, the strawberries are considered as delicacies of limited quantity and they are handpicked to ensure only the highest quality ones are harvested.”
The strawberry gift box was meant to be a limited-edition Valentine’s Day gift. The spokesperson said, “We are hoping to bring more choices of premium fresh produce to Hong Kong customers.”
The spokesperson continued, “In the past years, we have been gradually reducing the amount of pre-packed fruits and vegetables by introducing more loose sales of fruits and vegetables.
“On the other hand, we are also aware of customers’ concern [for] hygiene and [the] quality of products. Different packaging methods are used, depending on the level of fragility, storage and protection needs [of products].”
City’super claimed that they are willing to make progress in terms of researching and studying “different viable ways of packaging.”
The spokesperson added, “Biodegradable clear plastic bags and shopping bags, food trays and containers made of sugar cane fiber and ... cornstarch, are increasingly used to reduce the use of plastics in our stores.”
Gary Stokes, from the environmental group Sea Sheperd Global, said, “We are saying we don’t want it in plastic and it’s time [supermarkets] listened. That one heavily packaged strawberry sold in a box in City’super reminds me of something out of Mad Max—like it’s the last strawberry on Earth. It’s ridiculous.”
City’super was established in 1996. They branded themselves as the “Mega Lifestyle Specialty Store” in Hong Kong. So, basically, they’re Whole Foods but in the shape, size, and atmosphere of a Century mall.
