Retailers mark major shift in how Aussie shoppers are buying their fruit and veg

Shopping for fruit and vegetables looks very different lately, and Australia’s top grocers are taking note.

Consumers aren’t just looking for fresh produce in their local fruit and veg stores any more. They want to stock up on additional grocery items, and are gravitating towards vegetables that are packaged, peeled and cut.

That’s according to Tanya Husband, owner of Erbacher’s Fruit and Vegetables, and Craig Gauci, co-manager of Minchinbury Fruit and Vegetables, who have been in the industry for decades and have witnessed a dramatic shift first-hand at their thriving local businesses.

Husband’s Queensland shop, which her grandfather opened over 65 years ago, was recently won the top award at the ‘A better choice!’ 2026 Retailer of the Year People’s Choice Award, as well as being named the state’s favourite fruit and veg retailer.

The main change she’s noted in consumer habits is the additional products customers are now looking for at fruit and vegetable stores on top of fresh produce – like bread, nuts and eggs.

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“[Our store] started off as an egg and avocado stand, and then it has grown into a little shop, which has then evolved over the years,” she told nine.com.au.

“There’s fruit and veg, and then we have other things that complement that. You’ve got your bread and your milk, and we have your nuts, and we’ve got eggs ... there’s a huge list of things that we sell.”

All the store’s produce is sourced as locally as possible.

“On the Sunshine Coast there’s not a lot of farmland any more, but where we can we buy locally, so our mushrooms are local, our eggs are local,” she adds.

“We have our own little farm component of business as well, where we grow a small amount for the business, a lot of herbs, silverbeet, ginger, turmeric, and we have 15,000 strawberry plants in.

“What we can’t buy locally, we then go to Rocklea Markets in Brisbane.”

Their current biggest sellers are avocados, strawberries, and mandarins, as well as broccoli and cauliflower.

“At the moment, prices are really good on a lot of things because everything’s growing. We just do our best to keep our prices down,” Husband said.

“I guess we’re very fortunate that we own our land here, and we own the business because it’s been obviously going for so long.”

Gauci’s store, Minchinbury Fruit and Vegetables, has been in his family for 66 years, and just took home the title of best fruit and veg shop in New South Wales.

The biggest shift he has noticed has been “customers wanting more done for them”.

This includes pre-cut and peeled vegetables, and produce that’s packaged up for them rather than requiring them to bag it up themselves.

“Pre-packaged goods sell a lot quicker,” he told nine.com.au.

“They’ll come and grab a bag or a tray of capsicums. We have cucumbers trayed up, capsicums, tomatoes in bags.

“We just try and accommodate for the people.

“My father’s always taught us to always give the customers good quality stuff. That’s how we’ve maintained the longevity there.”

The biggest sellers at the store have been watermelons and strawberries, along with winter vegetables including broccolini, cauliflower, cabbage, silverbeet and zucchini.

“Anything that can be used to make stir-fries, soups, and stews.”

Husband urges Australian shoppers to shop at their local fruit and vegetable stores for the freshest produce and the lowest prices.

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“They know what is in season. They work really hard to find the best produce to go onto the shelves,” she said.

“And they’re really up-to-date on their freshness and quality.”

“That’s why choice is so important,” Gauci echoed.

He added that if customers don’t shop at their local fruit and vegetable stores, as well as butchers and bakers, “we’re not going to have the quality any more”.