The Jazzy was introduced in the United Kingdom, France and Germany, among others, in 2012. Now the sales have extended and the potato is also being sold among well known retailers in Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Germany. On the shelves the Jazzy profits from the consumer’s ever changing desires. “The changes can be seen in the supply of potatoes and offers opportunities for Jazzy.”
Meijer sales manager Erik Oggel doesn’t want to name real competitors, but he does want to say that Jazzy defines itself with a nice uniform shape and a peel that shines after washing. “The potato also isn’t sensitive to bruising and the peel falls apart gradually when chewing.” Erik recognizes that in principle each potato is healthy and tasty but that the Jazzy has added value through consuming the skin. “This retains the fibres and vitamins. I’m not an expert but I understand that the concentration of vitamins in the potato is often the highest just under the skin.”
Insufficient seeding goods
The Jazzy has now been on shelves for 5 years and is intended for a wide segment of the market. “Our buyers have each developed their own market and extend it every day. This has allowed the Jazzy to find its way into the kitchens in restaurants, hotels and canteens. Thanks to the success the sales of seeding goods have doubled each year. According to Erik this isn’t sufficient to foresee the demand of existing and new customers. “In the future the availability of seeding goods shouldn’t be an obstruction to the sales of Jazzy.”
Marketing
To help the positioning of the potato, Meijer is investing in promotion. “The Jazzy has its own website (www.jazzy.eu.com), a unique logo and its own slogan: washing, cooking, enjoying. A toolkit was also put together with which we can support packagers and supermarkets internationally in sales. There are also ongoing talks on developing special packaging in collaboration with Jazzy’s buyers.”
Potato consumption
Finally, Erik believes that Jazzy can play a role in the increase of the potato consumption: “Compared to 20 years ago the consumer has much more choice when purchasing food products. A varied mix of dishes with pasta and rice will continue to be eaten. But we believe that the percentage of potato dishes can certainly increase by using our Jazzy.”
More information:
Erik Oggel
Email: ErikOggel@meijer-potato.com