This Freaky Pear Reveals a Lot About Today's Consumers A new study reveals that younger consumers with low incomes are more likely to purchase an $8 novelty-shaped pear.

By Rose Leadem

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Fruit Mould

From square watermelons to Franken-pumpkins, the food industry is getting creative with produce. And its most recent innovation is a Buddha-shaped pear, created by Fruit Mould.

For around $8 a piece, you can take a bite into this crazy fruit. Why so pricey? Creating a Buddha pear is a process -- before the fruit begins to grow, a plastic Buddha mold must be placed over it. The harvesting process must be precisely timed too.

Related: Two Influential Gen Zers Explain How to Market to Young Consumers

Researchers at the University of Illinois became curious of this odd-shaped produce phenomenon. "We were curious. How do growers find buyers for such unique food products?" asked agricultural communications professor Lulu Rodriguez. So they set to find out.

Rodriguez and her team of researchers asked undergrads if they would buy a Buddha-shaped pear for $8 -- and a surprising amount said yes. But not for eating. "The undergrads we talked to said at $8 a piece, they'd buy one Buddha pear, take a picture of themselves holding it and post it on Facebook. It was something to brag about," Rodriguez said.

The researches investigated further -- in a survey, they asked 336 participants to read a news article about novel pears then complete a questionnaire. The questionnaire asked them about their attitudes toward the pears, what they believe their family and friends would think, whether they would buy them and how much they would pay. They were also asked to provide demographic information such as gender, age, income, education and more.

Related: A 3-Step Startup Guide to Connecting With Consumers

It turns out, younger consumers with lower incomes were more likely to buy a Buddha pear compared to older consumers with disposable incomes. "I thought people with higher incomes and more to spare would be more likely to buy a box of the pears to impress a friend or business associate," Rodriquez said. "But we think younger people see them as something adventurous. Older people may just think the pears are foolish."

Rose Leadem is a freelance writer for Entrepreneur.com. 

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business News

JPMorgan Shuts Down Internal Message Board Comments After Employees React to Return-to-Office Mandate

Employees were given the option to leave comments about the RTO mandate with their first and last names on display — and they did not hold back.

Innovation

4 Ways Market Leaders Use Innovation to Foster Business Growth

Forward-thinkers constantly strive to diversify and streamline their products and services, turning novelties into commodities desired by many.

Side Hustle

'Hustling Since Middle School': She Started a Side Hustle on Facebook Marketplace — Then a 'Game-Changer' Grew It to $25,000 a Month

Leena Pettigrew's "entrepreneurial spirit" inspired her to build a business with earnings that outpaced her full-time income.

Leadership

From Elite Athletes to Tech Titans — Discover the Surprising $100-Million Habit That Leads to Extraordinary Success

Success comes from mastering focus, eliminating distractions and prioritizing what truly matters.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.