As October comes to a close, more and more European citrus fruits are arriving wholesale. In about a week, East German wholesaler chain Macoo GmbH will also welcome the first arrivals from the Spanish Valencia region. This company is the exclusive distribution partner of the Spanish Le Gamin citrus brand for (East) German wholesalers. Even after more than 25 years, local wholesale customers appreciate the proprietary brands of the GmbH, says owner Tommy Matser.
Citrus campaign
Although Spanish citrus fruits are available from Western European soil as well Macoo GmbH do not market these due to their shifting quality. ''We will skip the first clementines of the season, simply because they usually aren't very good. Although I can not predict the harvest forecasts for the rest of the season, we expect sufficient quantities of high quality goods. Last year there was not enough citrus to go round, this year it is rather too much."
The first contact between the experienced wholesaler and Spanish suppliers was made in 1994, but in the mean time he has been the exclusive distribution partner of the Le Gamin brand for almost 25 years. "At that time, I came across these fruits at a the Dutch retailer by accident and I subsequently got in touch with a Spanish trader. After a few years, I decided to import these citrus fruits directly from Spain into Germany."
As far as the oranges are concerned, it is primarily the Navel varieties that are selling quickly. "With the Clementines, we are already seeing an increasing demand for seedless Nadorcott. On the other hand, leafy clementines, that have a market share of about 10 percent of total citrus turnover, are only a marginal phenomenon within the East German trade.''
Consumer behavior
According to Matser, a large demand for large caliber, juicy fruits without core and with a high Brix value characterizes the East German wholesale trade. ''Oranges are usually sold in boxes of 24, weighing some 12 kg. This corresponds to a weight of about 500 grams apiece. If we compare this product to average fruits at Dutch and West German wholesalers, we are talking about 24 to 32 pieces per 12 kg box. That means a significantly lower weight per individual fruit." According to Matser, red-fleshed oranges also have just a limited market share. "A variety like the Cara Cara is lucrative in terms of sales, but it has a season lasting only a few weeks."
In contrast to the West German trade, Turkish and Greek citrus fruits are hardly available in East German wholesale markets. Before the reunification large quantities from these regions were distributed in East Germany, of questionable quality. ''Currently, the consumers do not want these varieties anymore. There is also hardly any demand for Italian citrus, as their size does not meet the requirements of regional traders." The differences between western and eastern wholesale markets are reflected in consumer behavior as well, says Matser. ''The East German consumer is very price conscious. When there is a strawberry discount, they buy tons of strawberries. Furthermore, there is a bigger emphasis on freshness, while in western Germany the average consumer increasingly does his or her shopping only once a week."
Private labels as the key to success
In 1992, shortly after the reunification, Matser moved to East Germany. What started as a wholesale business has, over the years, developed into a complete chain of nine branches in almost all major cities of the new German states. ''For many years now, we have placed great emphasis on our own brands like Camilla (grapes), Bouquet (watermelons) and Wittenberg Gemüse (vegetables). Because we are the only distributors of this produce and the only ones who can offer these products, our brands have a certain recognition value. Anyway, we have a lot of success with these sales.''
For more information:
Macoo GmbH
GF: Hendrikus Theodorus Arend Matser
Spitzhausstraße 74, 01139 Dresden (Zentrale)
Fon: 0351 83974 - 0
Fax: 0351 83974 - 50
Mail: info@macoo.de
Web: www.macoo.de