UsableMarkets

Case in point: Fresh Direct now has fruit ratings.

Forgive me if I’m a little suspicious (and I hope it’s not indicative of my nature), but when a company starts rating it’s own products one has to cast a skeptical eye. In this instance, the fruit ratings are apparently given by Fresh Direct’s produce managers.

And, if one looks through the site, one does see a smattering of 2 and 3 starred fruit alongside 4 and 5 stars (but no 1 stars yet spotted). And the ratings don’t appear to be aligned with any pricing strategy. I.e. many 2 star items are more expensive than 4 star items.

We can guess that Fresh Direct instituted this policy in response to questions about fruit quality. No one likes ordering some apples and then getting nothing but the mushy ones.

But what’s not clear is if the ratings have any meaning? Reading consumer reviews of Fresh Direct online seems to indicate they do not, but I’m not a Fresh Direct customer, so I haven’t experienced this myself.

I’d be curious to hear from any (awesomely smart) readers whether they use Fresh Direct and if the rating systems have impact on how they buy, and, more importantly, any relation to reality.

*update*One friend replies that the ratings are actually good. Hm, can a company get this right? Can they afford not to?

~alex