A VIRAL $19 strawberry is flying off the shelves despite its absurd price – but the store is doubling down on the luxury.
The social media storm has attracted millions of views on the social media platform TikTok, and has also caught the attention of A-list influencers.
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The Elly Amai strawberry is imported from Kyoto, Japan, and is currently selling at the Los Angeles luxury chain Erewhon.
For the price of $18.99, Americans get one singular strawberry, which have been dubbed “the best” and an “experience”, reported by NBC News.
According to Elly Amai, each strawberry is cultivated to achieve perfect symmetry and the ideal red color, per NBC News.
The description on display when you buy the strawberry reads: “Each berry is cultivated to achieve perfect symmetry, brilliant color, and exceptional size.”
The viral TikTok trend was started earlier this week, after influencer Alyssa Antoci, 22, filmed herself tasting the expensive treat.
After tasting it, she said: “Wow, this is the best strawberry. That’s crazy.”
Her video has amassed 15.6million views as of Wednesday.
It is important to note that Alyssa is the niece of Tony and Josephine Antoci, who own Erewhon.
Alyssa used to run the chain’s social media account, and she’s well aware of how a high price can help contribute to the general mystique of a product.
She said: “People kind of want to experience that and say it in posts.
“I honestly think this is probably one of the biggest things that have taken off, besides the smoothies.
“That’s just how social media works.
“It’s like, you know, you’re gonna get people who hate on you, but it’s like, it doesn’t really matter at the end of the day, because they don’t understand the opportunity it brings.”
A lot of work goes into making sure each strawberry is as perfect as it can be, according to Erewhon themselves.
A rep told Today.com: “The strawberries are picked at their prime and hits the shelves at Erewhon within 24-48 hrs.
“Faster than broccoli growing in CA getting to markets in NY.
“If you think logistics-wise, getting it here and being able to try it fresh from Japan, it’s very understandable why the price is what it is.
“Don’t hate on it until you try it.”
TikTok Dictionary
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Social media reaction to the costly fruit has been decidedly more mixed.
One person said: “I’ve seen a lot of weird things at Erewhon, but this is a new low.”
A second person added: “This is so embarrassing to me like.”
A third wrote: “I guarantee it tasted like a normal strawberry with a sprinkle of placebo.”
Erewhon is a luxury chain with 10 LA locations.
It was boosted to fame through notably lucrative brand partnerships, including Kendall Jenner’s “Peaches and Cream” smoothie and Hailey Bieber’s “Strawberry Glaze Soft Serve” smoothie.
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Content shared from www.the-sun.com.