year has seen the launch of some exciting new products from Saba, the Scandinavian branch of Dole. Included in this have been two new fresh packed salads, which mark the company's first venture into a seasonal product range.The salads, the Dole Coleslaw Kit and Barbecue Mix, as the name may suggest, were introduced for the Scandinavian barbecue season and were launched in May for sale until around September.
The Coleslaw Kit contains a mix of grated carrot and cabbage, plus a dressing allowing the consumer to make their own mix, whilst the Barbecue Mix contains grated carrot, iceberg lettuce, rocket, white and red cabbage.
The products were marketed throughout Scandinavia and Finland as well as the Baltic states, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
Fredrik Pettersson, Sales Manager of Dole Fresh Cuts, says that the products have done very well, in spite of the fact that the weather has not been as good as hoped.
"The salad kits have done great, although the Summer has not been that good in Sweden - or any part of Northern Europe - but they've done well. I can only imagine they would have done even better had the weather been more usual.
"Of course we don't just sell to retailers, but also to the food service sector and if you look at fast food outlets they've had a good year. It might not have been the perfect weather for a barbecue, but it has been a good year for fast food."
Of course, the performance of the products is not just down to the weather, the products have also been helped by their branding and, in the case of the salad kits, some very striking packaging.
"The Packaging really stands out, it's different, special, but at the same time it reminds us of the year round Dole product range," says Fredrik.
The more usual packaging associated with Dole Fresh Cuts lines
Such has been the success of the seasonal range that the company is already planning to extend it in the future, including potentially rolling out some Autumnal and Winter products also. Fredrik says that two examples of this could be a root vegetable kit for Autumnal sale and a typically Swedish cabbage product for the Winter - each with their own distinctive branding.
Fredrik says, "Retail in this part of the world is such that you can not just sell a product, it is important to make it very eye catching as well. We also need to consider new products all the time, as the competition is getting stronger.
"A few years ago things were easier in this category, but now it can be tough, especially in Scandinavia and Northern Germany. It is a little easier in the Baltic countries for the time being. However, we have strong brand and we are still doing very well. Besides, it's a growing market and there is room for a few more."
Such success doesn't mean that there are no challenges, however and Fredrik explains that the retail sector, in particular, has been throwing up a few obstacles in recent years.
"The supermarkets move more and more towards private labels and they are producing some very strong, very good products. However, once they introduce their own label there is tendency in this part of the world, to exclude premium brands.
This is something we are keen to challenge as we believe that the consumer should have the choice and that the market is more vibrant when it contains both private labels and premium brands."
For more information:
Fredrik Pettersson
Sales Manager
Do
le Fresh Cuts ABTel: +46 (0)42 24 96 00
Tel (ddl): +46 (0) 42 24 96 76
Mob: +46 (0)70 648 75 82
fredrik.pettersson@saba.se
www.dole.se and www.dole.eu