"We are working hard to catch up on Fresh Produce"

The customers of Delhaize are looking for healthy food, inspiration, and sustainability. "Fresh Produce is a very important department. We've recently investigated what the customers thought of our Fresh Produce sections. In comparison to other retailers, we have good scores regarding meat and dairy products, for Fresh Produce our scores are lower. Our Fresh Produce section falls short and we are working hard to improve this," says Patrick Verhamme of Delhaize, during the Fresh Produce congress of Storecheck.

The strategy of Delhaize for Fresh Produce puts quality in the first place, this distinguishes the supermarket from other chains. There are 4 cornerstones in the quality strategy. "We want to be the best in Fresh Produce with a innovative product range, the best shopping experience, and the right price/quality ratio."

Trends

There are multiple issues in the Fresh Produce section that Delhaize acts on. "We think it is important to follow the seasons and bring these products forward. We want to show the consumer what the season has to offer in all segments, from asparagus to citrus." Sustainability is another important aspect. "We prefer to offer Belgian products and in addition we offer funny vegetables as well. Which are quite hard to find in Belgium, because the major part of the harvest is perfectly fine." Another trend the consumer follows is healthy food. "For fruit and vegetables that is not very hard, everything is healthy. So in addition we offer various superfoods. These are not all 'special' products; the classic cauliflower is a superfood as well, for example." As last, Delhaize focuses on convenience. "We have an extensive fourth gamma with chopped vegetables. This has stagnated a little bit, but now we have some more variation in the gamma. We recently introduced the new Flip-it salads and these are catching on well!"

The best in Fresh Produce

Delhaize has made some adjustments here and there in the Fresh Produce section. "First we had the organic products right next to the regular products, but it is not noticeable enough. That's why we chose to place the organic Fresh Produce separate from the rest." Delhaize is not known for its low prices. "That is not what we strive for. We want to supply the best quality, and this improved the satisfaction with the prices. We keep on working on this constantly, of course." With regard to the freshness of the products, Delhaize works closely together with their suppliers. "We are always looking for parties that share our philosophy, our focus on quality."

New store concept

The new store concept of Delhaize has brought the Fresh Produce section more into the light. In 2014, the retailer introduced a new store concept in which the shopping experience of the customer is key. "Fresh Produce gets a central place and is supported by various kinds of instore communications and promotions. There are plans to convert 25 supermarkets per year to this new concept."