‘People in L.A. are so gullible’: A $19 strawberry has sparked internet debate over luxury foods

A $19 strawberry has broken the internet. 

Over the weekend, several content creators went viral with reviews of one very expensive berry, purchased from the upscale Los Angeles-based grocery chain Erewhon.

“Apparently it’s the best-tasting strawberry in the entire world,” influencer Alyssa Antoci says in a video that has racked up more than 15 million views. It’s worth noting that Antoci appears to be a social media manager for Erewhon, and her family also owns the store. “Wow. That is the best strawberry. That’s crazy,” she adds.

Along with the $19 price tag, the berries from luxury Japanese fruit vendor Elly Amai are individually packaged, set on a small cushion inside a miniature plastic cloche for protection—exactly how one would expect such an expensive berry to be packaged. On its website, the company claims to sell only the “highest-quality fruits from Japan’s most celebrated farms.”

Not everyone is impressed. “People in L.A. are so gullible,” one commenter wrote. “If I dropped $20 on a strawberry, I’d probably convince myself it was the best one I’ve ever tasted too,” wrote another.

“It does taste good but is it worth the $19?” content creator @janemukbangs questioned in a TikTok video with 5.5 million views. (Spoiler alert: It wasn’t.)

Whether people are willing to pay a premium for Japanese berries or it’s simply a case of clever marketing, this isn’t the first time the celeb-loved L.A. grocery store has made headlines for its pricey products. This month, it’s a $19 strawberry; last year, it was a $32 bag of specialty ice. In a time when many are struggling to afford even basic groceries, it’s easy to see why a ridiculously expensive strawberry has rubbed some people the wrong way.

Or, as one commenter theorized, “Erewhon was 100% started by a group of uni students who wanted to run a social experiment on consumerism. They ended up accidentally creating a successful grocery so now they just watch and laugh.”

<hr class=“wp-block-separator is-style-wide”/> https://www.fastcompany.com/91285151/19-strawberry-sparked-debate-luxury-foods?partner=rss&amp;utm_source=rss&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&amp;utm_content=rss

Creado 5h | 26 feb. 2025 6:50:10


Inicia sesión para agregar comentarios

Otros mensajes en este grupo.

Netflix is building a global audience by empowering Arab creatives

When Netflix reality show Dubai Bling debuted in 2022, it became a global sensation, garnering viewers across 51 countries. And it’s kept up the momentum: The show’s recently

26 feb. 2025 11:40:03 | Fast company - tech
Microsoft’s Majorana 1 widened the quantum field. But are we any closer to a eureka moment?

Quantum researchers are in a race for qubits, and Microsoft is in the thick of the competition.

Microsoft has spent the last 20 years pursuing a topological approach to quantum developme

26 feb. 2025 11:40:02 | Fast company - tech
‘Battle-hardened’ Intuitive Machines takes its next steps toward a lunar economy

It’s been a year since Intuitive Machines (IM) made history with the first private soft landing and first

26 feb. 2025 6:50:11 | Fast company - tech
Consumers are connected more than ever before

The Fast Company Impact Council is a private membership community of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual

26 feb. 2025 2:20:06 | Fast company - tech
Elon Musk’s DOGE is draining the life from the once-vaunted U.S. Digital Service

The United States Digital Service (USDS), the storied group of Silicon Valley types brought together by Obama to bring government services into the 21st century, will likely never be the same afte

25 feb. 2025 21:40:06 | Fast company - tech
21 federal workers resign from DOGE, refusing to ‘dismantle critical public services’

More than 20 civil service employees resigned Tuesday from billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk’s 

25 feb. 2025 21:40:06 | Fast company - tech
Nvidia stock struggles before its first post-DeepSeek earnings: 5 things to watch

It’s no exaggeration to say that Nvidia (Nasdaq:NVDA), to many people, is the most important stock on Wall Street these days. Last year, the com

25 feb. 2025 21:40:05 | Fast company - tech