A real market feel at Food Lovers Market

FreshPlaza visited a few different locations of Food Lovers Market, one of South Africa's major retail chains. There are 12-15 stores in the Western Cape and around 100 nationally. The produce sections in some of the stores have a real market feel, whereas others combine high end retail with value for money fruit and veg. The concept in the produce section is to buy locally, the buyers from the supermarkets go to the wholesale market every morning and select the fruit which is then trucked to each store.

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The clientel is mixed, going from low to middle end and high end in the weekend. These days most of the fruit is hand selected by the customer whereas it used to be mainly bulk buys. Most of the stores are similarly priced, but may vary by a few rand in some stores.

In most of the stores I visited a huge display of watermelons stood outside to attract the customers in, at this time of the year the weather is starting to cool off and these are being reduced in price. On entering the stores the first produce you see is the bulk buys: potatoes, onions, butter-nut squash among others. These bulk buys are also offered in combo deals. Potatoes are used frequently as a loss leader to attract customers in, bananas are also usually on prominent display as you enter but at the moment there is shortage in South Africa, as in other countries, so the displays have been moved in-store. They cost 11.99R Kg (1 Euro), twice the normal price.

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There was a nice selection of fresh cut fruit in all of the stores Vito Polera, national buyer at FVC explained that the fresh cut fruit and vegetables is all done in-store and can include damaged fruit not suitable for display, while this serves the growing demand for fresh cut it also reduces food waste. The fresh cut range includes pumpkin, coleslaw mix, halve cauliflowers, veggies for the braai (BBQ) and many more.

The company also has stores throughout Africa and are expanding slowly. Polera, said in the beginning they export the fruit from South Africa and then when the individual stores become established they buy from the local farmers as well.

As with most retailers Food Lovers Market are looking at sustainability and will be taking steps in this direction this year. Organic produce is not hugely popular in South Africa though.

The philosophy is quality at good value, so if a product is not in season and the imported produce is expensive then it will not be in the selection.

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For more information:
Vito Polera
FVC
Email: vitop@fnv.co.za