"After almost 15 years, we wanted to give our existing stand a new, contemporary and, above all, attractive look to emphasize our slogan 'Competence in freshness'. We also believe in the positive business development of the Engrosmarkt business," says Raphael Weiss, Managing Director of Swiss fruit trading company Giovanelli, on the redesign of the branch at Zurich's Engrosmarkt. The new location was opened at the end of November.
In order to create an attractive workplace for the employees working there, the design of the sales counter has been fundamentally revised and the workstations have been ergonomically improved. Weiss: "The company colors now come into their own, i.e. the identification with Giovanelli. In general, everything has been repainted and the lighting has been adapted so that the products are better illuminated. In addition, sales shelves were installed to better present the products to our customers and to make better use of the space. We worked with various wooden elements and a new lighting concept to give the stand a warmer appearance. Finally, we renovated and redesigned the lounge for our employees to create a pleasant setting for breaks."
Engrosmarkt as an indicator
In addition to supplying the Swiss retail trade, the long-established Giovanelli company has been firmly anchored at Engrosmarkt Zurich, Switzerland's most important wholesale market for fruit and vegetables, for many years. "Business development at Engrosmarkt has been consistently positive for us in recent years and we have been able to further expand our position, with the exception of the pandemic period. The wholesale market offers us many opportunities. On the one hand, we appreciate the direct proximity to our customers, but also the direct feedback on our products and offers. We can also better support many of our customers through our location in Zurich. We also use the market as a strategic logistics platform for some of our customers," Weiss explains.
Similar to many other wholesale markets in Europe, Engrosmarkt is finding it increasingly difficult to find employees. "After all, not everyone is comfortable working at night. However, we are lucky to have a very well-coordinated and loyal team who really like night work and complement each other well. However, it is increasingly important to offer employees an attractive workplace."
Giovanelli mainly serves wholesalers via the Engrosmarkt branch, who in turn supply the food service industry directly. "We made a conscious decision not to develop this business area, as otherwise we would have had to add other products to our range in addition to fruit and vegetables. We therefore deliberately leave this business to our customers, who have mastered it perfectly. Our customers also include retailers and restaurants from the Zurich area as well as weekly market traders."
Specialist knowledge plays a decisive role
The Zurich wholesale market certainly needs to stay on the ball, constantly adapting its product ranges to changing market requirements. "We are observing that the cash & carry business is gaining in importance and is not making life easy for the wholesale business. Nevertheless, many restaurants rely on our customers and their specialist knowledge of the products and seasonality. This expertise ultimately helps to ensure that the products are of the desired quality. Our customers are fully aware of the challenges and are therefore constantly looking for innovative solutions in order to survive on the market. All in all, we believe in the wholesale business, otherwise we would not have decided to invest in the remodeling," says Weiss.
Images: Giovanelli Fruchtimport AG
For more information:
Raphael Weiss
Giovanelli Fruchtimport AG
Schaffhauserstrasse 200
8500 Frauenfeld
Tel .+41 52 728 09 09
Fax +41 52 728 09 00
info@giovanelli.ch
www.giovanelli.ch