The week before Easter always guarantees good fruit and vegetable sales. How are things going this year? What are the top sellers? What impact is the good weather having? And which products aren't in stock? We asked Ronnie Moorman of Willem Dijk AGF and Loek Smets of P. Smets & Zn about this. These traders are both in the Netherlands.
"I find prices generally quite high," says Ronnie. "That's resulted in a lot of talk but little trade. Asparagus are always hot at Easter. But almost all of them are still from heated cultivation. And the available supply is extremely expensive. Some customers gamble by buying now; others wait to see what the market brings."
"We also sell lots of pickles and dill to 'Russian Germans' around this time. But dill, when it's available, was €3 more expensive yesterday than last week," he adds. "Products like cauliflower and bell peppers are also very pricey. As are tomatoes and soft fruit."
"I'm continually amazed that we still have to pay €1.50 for 125g of blueberries. That, while supermarkets sell two buckets for €5. That sometimes gives mixed messages. Our customers can't explain this to their customers, the consumers."
“There's something that always applies in a week like the one before Easter. Product availability trumps price. In Germany, Merkel's store closure initially caused a big ruckus. Fortunately, that's died down now. But sales still have to be done quickly. Stores in Germany are closed on Whit Thursday and Good Friday. That leaves only Saturday for good Easter sales," explains Ronnie.
Loek, who's a wholesaler, says fruit and vegetable Easter sales are quite stable. "It's always a good sales week. Christmas used to be the big thing. But I think Easter will catch up in due course."
Asparagus and strawberries are typical Easter products, he says. "These are very hot. The current problem is availability. Strawberries are still okay, but asparagus are very pricey. They should cost €10. Now, you have to practically take out a loan to buy them. At Easter, the whole product range is slightly more expensive."
Loek's customers lie within a 150km radius from Geleen, where his business is located - the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium. "In Germany, everything must be green for Easter. That's unusual. Other than that, there's nothing out of the ordinary."
"Prices are generally fairly steep, but I don't mind. It's better to have a firm average price than a low one. Because then everyone just messes around. A slightly higher price benefits everyone in the chain, from grower to trader. And the shoppers don't care one way or another," Loek concludes.
For more information:
Willem Dijk AGF BV
Ronnie Moorman
Mob: +31 (0) 653 374 274
Email: ronnie@willemdijk.nl
Website: www.willemdijk.nl
Loek Smets
P. Smets & Zn
11 Hofdwarsweg
6161 DE, Geleen, NL
Tel: +31 (0) 464 742 381
Email: Loek@psmets.nl
Website: www.psmets.nl