The Easter weekend is typically when wholesalers experience a rush. This year, however, seems to be a bit of a let down, according to Ellen Sebrechts of Sebrechts Groenten en Fruit. "It's quieter than other years. I think it's because Easter was right at the start of the [Belgian] Easter holiday, which started on Friday. Normally, Easter falls at the end of that holiday, and people shop specifically for it. Now, many people are going on vacation right away. The erratic weather makes sales especially hard to predict, too," she begins.
"Because of that, it seems many stores want to keep upbeat. We got many emails from them about special products because their Easter sales are somewhat disappointing. Salicornia, sea lavender, and wild garlic are in high demand. And there's demand for exotics, such as pitahaya and baby pineapple. These items are usually pushed to the background in favor of traditional Easter products, like strawberries and asparagus, but they're now coming into focus."
"The same goes for French products. That range supplements anything that's lacking from Spain or Belgium. That's quite pleasant, as they're fantastic items. I always have a shipment come in on Wednesday, but I had to order more last week because there's so much demand. That's mainly because the Belgian offer of those products hasn't started yet. There's little to no fava beans, Coeur de Boeuf tomatoes, and endive from Belgium yet. The French weather is slightly better, so they started a bit earlier. Also, many growers there specialize in specific products, ensuring excellent quality," continues this Belgian family wholesale business member.
"These are undoubtedly pricy products, but buyers opt for quality. They want to boost your range, especially when they're not making the desired holiday sales. For example, the Spanish fava bean supply was somewhat lacking, but we got some lovely ones from France. These are literally going for double the price, but people are willing to pay that. As soon as the Belgian offer starts, though, there will be a quick switch. Then, people opt for the local offer."
"But until then, the French assortment is doing very well. It's also partly because people are a little tired of the familiar products; they've seen enough of the winter offer. Don't get me wrong, the grapes and citrus are excellent, but we've been selling those for a while. Everyone wants something special, something new. That's when those French specialties come into play. It's time for summer. Everyone, including us, is looking forward to summer fruit," laughs Ellen.
Fluctuating strawberry and asparagus prices
That does not mean asparagus and strawberries have been completely sidelined. "We've started with them, and they're always strong sellers. Their prices are just very notably up and down. Asparagus was very expensive two weeks ago, and then, last Monday and Tuesday, the prices suddenly collapsed. I think it's because the supermarkets bought a lot over that weekend. Then, the price suddenly rose. But, later last week, that demand fell, and so did the prices. I expect them to keep falling. It remains to be seen, though; the cold, wet weather makes asparagus harvesting difficult."
"Last Monday and Tuesday, strawberries weren't so expensive, so we thought there was enough supply and we could buy more during the week," says Sebrechts. "Only, the price suddenly spiked later in the week. That was unexpected because the lesser weather depressed demand. It seems much is being exported. There are still contracts that can't be fully filled, and then the strawberries aren't auctioned. That drives prices up."
"However, it's always risky. If you buy a lot at those prices and they suddenly collapse, you can make a substantial loss. Fortunately, the price dropped significantly on Friday, much to our customers' delight, who can now bring sunshine to their stalls with beautiful quality strawberries in all sizes. You could say it's true trading at the moment. Buying for the holidays is always challenging, but I hope this marks the start of a great season," concludes Ellen.
For more information:
Ellen Sebrechts
Sebrechts Groenten & Fruit
4 Kielsbroek
2020, Antwerp, Belgium
Tel.: +32 (0) 32 374 192
info@sebrechtsfruit.be
www.sebrechtsfruit.be