A supplier moving dates and other dried fruit lines through the same warehouse each week ends up learning the practical differences fast — moisture content and shelf stability matter more than any marketing copy. Raisins and sultanas sit at the driest end, holding for a year or more in a sealed carton with almost no spoilage risk. Dried apricots and prunes carry more residual moisture, which gives a softer bite but shortens the safe storage window unless they're kept cool.
Dates fall somewhere between the two, and where exactly depends on grade. A firm Sukkari or Sayer holds close to how raisins behave. A soft Medjool or Ajwa needs the same careful handling you'd give prunes — cooler storage, faster turnover, smaller batches.
Figs are the trickiest to hold in bulk
They pick up moisture from the air quickly, which is why a batch is usually kept smaller and turned over faster rather than sitting in a six-month reserve. Grading language also differs by fruit: dates are graded by size, colour uniformity and moisture (Jumbo, Grade A, Grade B); dried apricots mostly by colour and size; raisins by seedless versus seeded and by colour, golden or black. Knowing the grading terms for each fruit you carry saves a lot of back-and-forth with a new buyer.
What actually decides which lines to stock
The real question isn't which dried fruit is "healthiest" — that framing sells one bag, not a repeat customer. It's which lines your buyers reorder and which ones sit on the shelf. Your Domain Name is one place to check current pricing across a few varieties before committing to a container size.
If you're weighing which lines to add, start with what already has proven demand nearby. Our Medjool pricing guide and fresh vs. dried buah kurma piece both walk through how format and grade decisions play out for a single fruit before you scale to a wider range.