“I called a market in France 12 years ago to see if they would be interested in buying a full container of sweet potatoes,” recounted Ceccarelli, of Farm Fresh Produce. “Everyone thought I was crazy.” Most European consumers weren't terribly familiar with the product, and the few supplies that made it into France came via the now defunct Agrexco in Israel. Ceccarelli faced an uphill battle, but through persistent marketing efforts, he's now seeing a shift in consumer awareness of his company's signature product.
“Five years ago things changed in France,” explained Ceccarelli. “Everyone started wanting sweet potatoes.” He pointed to greater visibility of the product on the continent's cooking shows and in markets. A consistent presence in Europe's larger trade shows has also increased awareness, and as consumers get used to seeing more of the product and become familiar with how to incorporate it into their meals, sales of the product will continue to increase.
Ceccarelli also pointed to the intrepid nature of European consumers when it comes to fresh produce as another reason why sweet potatoes have gained greater traction over the years. Whereas North American consumers typically concentrate their food purchases in fewer trips to the market, European consumers tend to spread out their purchases into smaller transactions throughout the week. Those buying patterns mean Americans see trying new things as a riskier proposition than Europeans do, who are more likely to try new things.
“We're all creatures of habit, and new things scare us,” said Ceccarelli. “But European consumers are more open-minded when it comes to fresh produce. Also, in the Netherlands, for example, stores will promote new seasonal products, and everyone just looks forward to it more.”
For more information:
Steven A. Ceccarelli
Farm Fresh Produce
Tel: +1 910-508-8933
Email: steven@farm-fresh-produce.com
www.farm-fresh-produce.com