Grosbusch works with many producers in the Greater Region (Luxembourg, Saarland, Champagne, and Lorraine), which is bursting with a wide variety of tasty products. The Luxembourg-based company is now adding Mediterranean products sourced directly from the heart of Italy to its existing offer. Long-standing partnerships have been forged with transalpine producers to meet strong local demand. "The Italian community is the third largest foreign community in Luxembourg after the Portuguese and the French," explains Stéphie Van den Meersschaut, marketing and communication manager at Grosbusch.
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Responding to demand from a well-represented, well-established Italian population?
The company is keen to offer tasty products that meet its clients' needs. It was therefore natural to turn to the import of Italian products. "Italians make up 4% of the population of Luxembourg. No fewer than 25,000 Italians now live in Luxembourg City, 20% of whom were born in Luxembourg. Many are originally from Puglia and came here in the early 1900s. In the eyes of the government, they are an open, cosmopolitan population, fully integrated into the country's customs and local economy. However, they have retained some of their culture and traditions, especially in terms of gastronomy. The Italians have had a definite influence on Luxembourg's culinary arts, as evidenced by the large number of restaurants and specialized stores throughout the country. Additionally, each region of Italy has its own culture and its own specific characteristics, which makes our gastronomy even richer."
Working directly with producers to select the right products and optimize logistics costs
In order to satisfy this significant demand for quality Italian produce, Grosbusch went directly to the producers to select the best local fruit and vegetables. This choice has several advantages. "Having met the producers in Italy has enabled us to select the right products. Sourcing directly also allows us to get better prices. We use a logistics platform to group the parcels in order to optimize transport, which enables us to offer a wide range of Italian flavors, including very specific and niche references such as zucchini flowers. We are proud to be able to offer the Italian population authentic flavors from their homeland and their regions. Flavors that many other inhabitants of Luxembourg are also delighted to discover and rediscover," explains Martine Ministrini, senior purchasing manager at Grosbusch.
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Relationships with producers: the pillar of Grosbusch's business
Grosbusch offers Luxembourg consumers a wide range of fruit and vegetables from Puglia and elsewhere, many of which have a PGI. Peaches, nectarines, fennel, rocket lettuce, Italia grapes, barattiere melons, cherry tomatoes from Etna, tomatoes from Vesuvius, potatoes from Syracuse, lemons from the Amalfi coast, just to name a few. This diversity enables the company to target both supermarket customers and a network of specialists. But besides the flavors and quality of the products the company imports, it is also a passion that it seeks to pass on. "The keyword in our selection is taste. Behind each product, there is a story, a terroir, a producer, a family, a culture, special care taken with the product, and human relationships. As product enthusiasts, it is an honor for us to promote this history and these values through our Grosbusch brand, which is now firmly established in the region. The relationship with producers is the main pillar of our business, and we are very proud to share all these values with consumers in their approach to our products."
An authentic and original offer to meet the needs of a very heterogeneous population
In addition to this Italian influx, which helps to shape Luxembourg's culture, there are 170 nationalities living side by side in the area. "What is fabulous about Luxembourg is that we are lucky to live in a multicultural country. We hear every language spoken, which gives us this perpetual impression of travelling within our own borders. We have to start from the needs of our clients in order to develop our range, which is why we always carry out a potential study beforehand. The range we have developed reflects the eating habits of the inhabitants of Luxembourg and the diversity of their culinary interests. Combined with Luxembourg's history and culture, the result is an original, authentic, and highly interesting offer. As Luxembourgers also enjoy a certain degree of purchasing power, we can offer them high-quality, distinctive products that they can buy directly in stores or in restaurants, which are particularly popular in the country."
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Ensuring a fair return for producers
Grosbusch will also be selecting fruit and vegetables from other origins such as Portugal, Spain, and Morocco, always with the same ambition of finding tasty products while prioritizing the needs of the producers. "This is a very active segment in our buying and reselling strategy, without us adopting any specific positioning. We remain specialists, whatever the origin. As part of our approach to fine-tuning our selection of tasty fruit and vegetables, we follow the hemispheres and seasonality of the products, depending on the quality we are looking for. We want to pass on to consumers our passion for the product, which goes hand in hand with fair remuneration for the work of the grower. This is an integral part of our mission: to ensure that the price of quality reflects the quality of the price, so that the whole chain evolves in a balanced ecosystem."
