Birth of a category – story of BonSweet
Reduce costs with crownless pineapples
When Cool Fresh International started importing pineapples from Costa Rica in 2007, the company did so with a very specific objective: for the BonSweet pineapple brand to become the preferred pineapple brand for retailers, wholesalers and niche market traders all over Europe. Looking back, the company has indeed managed to develop its pineapple activities into a large-scale operation. Maybe not in sheer numbers, but definitely in terms of continuously bringing fresh and exciting concepts to its clients, according to Hugo Vermeulen of Cool Fresh International. “We achieved this by approaching the product as a category, and not as a stand-alone product.”
“During the early days we looked at the way in which other brands dominate categories. For example: Red Bull in the energy-drink category, Starbucks in the high-end coffee category, and Google in the search category. We found that all of these relatively new ventures were started by entrepreneurs, and not by established big companies. We also found the reason for the success in the fact that big, established companies are mostly busy polishing their brands, while entrepreneurs are almost always looking for creative ways to dominate categories. We came to understand that whilst brands are important, they have value only to the extent that they stand for categories. And that is what BonSweet set out to do: become a leading player in the pineapple category. Maybe not in sheer numbers, but definitely in terms of continuously bringing fresh and exciting concepts to its clients. Based on this strategy, Cool Fresh International and its Costa Rican partner Tropicalles del Valle started developing a comprehensive range of pineapples”.
BonSweet Blue and BonSweet Black
In the first instance a ‘bread and butter’ line called BonSweet Blue was developed. It was (and still is) pitched as the typical retail pineapple, with a solid shelflife and a greenish colour. (# 0,5 to 1 on the international pineapple colour charting system). “Initially the brand was distributed to a select number of supply chain partners of Cool Fresh International, but as its consistent quality became increasingly well-known and appreciated, various wholesale customers were added to the brand’s client list.”
It soon became clear that certain retailers wished to present consumers with ‘something extra’. After extensive field tests were done in Costa Rica BonSweet Black came on line. “The pineapples for this product line are subjected to extra scrutiny during harvesting and packing, with a strong focus on appearance and taste. With a higher Brix level than BonSweet Blue, as well as more colour (# 1.5 to 2) BonSweet Black became an instant hit, and today discerning customers – especially in the specialty segment – have a clear preference for it. “
Bonsweet Select
As the BonSweet brand gained in popularity, also the wishes of clients changed. Mario de Goede of Cool Fresh International explains: “With BonSweet Blue and BonSweet Black having entrenched itself in different market segments, in a number of niche markets there was a demand for even more taste and colour. We realized that the pineapple product category needed further innovation for our company to continue servicing its clients in the best possible manner. Together with Tropicales del Valle we did field tests with the focus to develop a pineapple which would also be ready to eat, and really high in flavour, colour and scent. The result was BonSweet Select. With the maximum possible Brix and a faster acid degradation (due to having been ripened on the plant), as well as a beautiful yellow colour (# 3) this pineapple is a true ‘taste explosion’. This product can definitely hold its own against the pineapples which are flown in, but obviously it has a definite cost advantage. We also developed a unique, high-quality carton, and in keeping with its name, we distribute BonSweet Select to selected clients only”.
Crownless pineapples
In mid-2013 the partners yet again embarked on an innovation project. The focus of the project was to reduce costs, and add value at the same time. The point of departure was that half of the wholesale price paid for a box of pineapples goes towards covering the logistics cost, compared with only 10-15 percent for a product like table grapes. By the company’s calculations, removing the crowns allow space for two more pineapples in each carton; that’s 160 more pineapples in each pallet; or an additional 3,200 pineapples per container. This can have a massive impact on profitability of the growers, as well as on environmental and food safety issues.
Mario de Goede says that shipping crownless pineapples does have a significant effect on the company’s CO2 footprint. In addition, removing the crown removes a most notorious breeding place of fungi from the pineapple.
Not only did Cool Fresh International embark on this intensive supply chain exercise to determine exact costs and benefits, it also created a marketing campaign to stimulate interest. With the ‘Let’s go topless’ campaign Cool Fresh International is the first company that is trying to bring this segment into the market in a focused manner.
De Goede says that for Cool Fresh International the benefits of crownless pineapples are clear. “The big challenge however remains to convince the retailer and the consumer that removing the crown from a pineapple does not influence the quality, shelf life or taste of a pineapple. On the contrary, it actually adds value all along the supply chain”.
Hugo Vermeulen says that everyone has been talking about crownless pineapples, but Cool Fresh International has actually taken the step of marketing them to consumers. The company is currently doing tests at store level with a major retail client. Vermeulen: “Obviously it will take several years for crownless pineapples to be a substantial part of the market, but we have the courage of our convictions to follow through on the concept concept. That being said, in the end it will be the growers that call the shots, because their profitability and future survival will depend on getting the logistics costs as low as possible”.
For more information:
Mario de Goede
Cool fresh international
Tel: + 31 88 3 777 138
Mob: + 623 931 499
[email protected]
www.coolfresh.nl
