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When it comes to purchasing fruits, there's always a question of value. Is it more cost-effective to buy fresh fruits, or should we opt for canned or juice forms? We delved into a dataset detailing the prices of various fruits in 2020 to bring some insights to the table.
Dataset Overview: The dataset contains information about 53 unique fruits in various forms: Fresh, Canned, Juice, Dried, and Frozen. It provides details about retail prices, the proportion of the fruit that's usable (yield), and the cost for a serving size equivalent to a cup.
1. Distribution of Fruit Forms: Fresh fruits dominate the dataset, followed by juices and canned fruits. Dried and frozen fruits have the fewest entries.
[Insert the bar chart showing the distribution of different forms of fruits]
2. Which Form Offers the Best Value? Based on the average price per serving (cup equivalent price):
Juices are the most cost-effective.
Frozen fruits follow closely.
Fresh and canned fruits fall in the mid-range.
Dried fruits are, on average, the most expensive per serving.
3. Variability in Fruit Prices: Some fruits have significant price variability across their different forms:
Pineapple tops the list, suggesting that its form significantly influences its cost per serving.
Grapes, Pears, Apples, and Cherries also show high price variability.
On the flip side, Raspberries, Blackberries, Pomegranate, and Blueberries have consistent pricing across their forms, providing predictability for consumers.
[Insert the bar charts showing fruits with the highest and lowest variability in cup equivalent price]
4. Retail Price vs. Usability: Interestingly, the price of a fruit doesn't necessarily correlate with the proportion that's usable. For instance, some fresh fruits might be pricey but have a high yield, indicating less wastage.
5. Expensive vs. Affordable Fruits: When considering the cost per serving:
Cherries (Canned), Raspberries (Fresh), and Blackberries (Fresh) are among the priciest.
Watermelon (Fresh), Bananas (Fresh), and Apple Juice (Frozen concentrate) offer great value, being among the least expensive per serving.
Conclusion: While fresh fruits are a favorite for many, juices offer a more cost-effective option when considering price per serving. However, the best choice often depends on individual preferences and the specific fruit in question. The next time you're in the grocery store, pondering over fresh raspberries or raspberry juice, remember that while the form might change, the joy of savoring fruits remains timeless.
Appendix: Some More Analysis
One aspect we can investigate is the distribution of the different forms of fruits within the dataset. This will give us an idea of how many entries we have for each form of fruit. Let's visualize the count of each form.
The bar chart illustrates the distribution of different forms of fruits in the dataset:
Fresh fruits dominate the dataset, with the highest count.
Juices and Canned fruits follow, with a moderate number of entries.
Dried and Frozen fruits have the fewest entries.
Given this distribution, our analysis might be more influenced by the characteristics of fresh fruits since they have a higher representation.
we can investigate which fruits have the highest variability in price across their different forms. This will help identify fruits that might offer better value in one form over another.
The bar chart showcases the top 10 fruits with the highest variability in cup equivalent price across their different forms:
Pineapple has the highest variability in price, indicating that the cost per serving can differ significantly based on its form (e.g., fresh, canned, juice).
Fruits like Grapes, Pears, Apples, and Cherries also exhibit high price variability across their forms.
Such variability suggests that consumers might find better value in one form of these fruits over another. For instance, pineapple juice might be more cost-effective than fresh pineapple in terms of price per serving.
we can analyze the fruits with the least variability in price to identify which fruits maintain consistent pricing across their forms.
The bar chart showcases the top 10 fruits with the lowest variability in cup equivalent price across their different forms:
Raspberries, Blackberries, Pomegranate, and Blueberries are among the fruits that have the least variability in price. This suggests that the cost per serving for these fruits remains relatively consistent regardless of their form (e.g., fresh, juice, frozen).
Having low variability in price can be advantageous for consumers as it provides predictability in costs across various forms of the same fruit.
We can analyze the distribution of the yield across the different forms of fruits to understand which form generally offers the highest usable proportion.
The boxplot shows the distribution of yield (proportion usable) for different forms of fruits:
Fresh Fruits: These have a wide range of yields, with some fruits having nearly 100% usability, while others have a lower yield. The median yield is just below 1, indicating that, on average, fresh fruits have a high proportion of usability.
Canned Fruits: The yield for canned fruits varies, with a median slightly below 1. This suggests that a majority of the product is usable, but some wastage might occur.
Juice: As expected, juices mostly have a yield of 1, indicating that the entire product is typically usable.
Dried Fruits: These also exhibit a variety of yields, with some dried fruits having higher wastage than others.
Frozen Fruits: The yield for frozen fruits is generally high, with a median close to 1.
In summary, if one is looking for products with the highest proportion of usability, juices and frozen fruits tend to offer the best value in this aspect. Fresh fruits, while having a wide range of yields, also generally offer a high proportion of usability.
We can investigate which fruits are the most and least expensive based on their cup equivalent prices. This will give us an understanding of which fruits offer the best value for money when considering the cost per serving. Let's identify the top 5 most expensive and the top 5 least expensive fruits based on their cup equivalent prices.
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Based on the cup equivalent prices, here are the fruits:
Top 5 Most Expensive Fruits:
Cherries (Canned): $3.07 per cup equivalent.
Raspberries (Fresh): $2.21 per cup equivalent.
Blackberries (Fresh): $2.00 per cup equivalent.
Pomegranate Juice (Ready-to-drink): $1.56 per cup equivalent.
Blueberries (Fresh): $1.40 per cup equivalent.
Top 5 Least Expensive Fruits:
Watermelon (Fresh): $0.23 per cup equivalent.
Bananas (Fresh): $0.27 per cup equivalent.
Apple Juice (Frozen concentrate): $0.29 per cup equivalent.
Pineapple Juice (Frozen concentrate): $0.35 per cup equivalent.
Grape Juice (Frozen concentrate): $0.36 per cup equivalent.
It's interesting to note that while some fresh fruits like raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries are among the most expensive per serving, other fresh fruits like watermelon and bananas are among the least expensive.
Analysis: ARS Analytics Team