When a supermarket suggested special packaging for Valentine’s Day to a Polish berry trader, Berrytrade did not have to think long on it. The new heart-shaped packaging for strawberries turned out to be a big hit on social media, piquing the interest of fresh produce traders as well as bakers.
As Valentine’s Day gets close, demand for strawberries increases. Sandra, Marek and Piotr, owners of Polish berry importer and exporter Berrytrade, import berries from around the globe once the Polish blueberry export season comes to an end: “During the export season, we typically send berries to German speaking countries, such as Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Also to the Netherlands, where berries are then sent on to other markets, like Scandinavia. Once the season ends in September, our company starts procuring berries from other markets to be able to supply the Polish market with berries all year round.”
When the export season ends, the focus is fully on the Polish domestic market, with occasional deliveries to countries situated on the east of Poland. Sandra states that they even buy berries from the same companies that they export their own berries to during the export season: “Our company works with small and medium supermarket chains in Poland and supplies them with berries all year. When working in the Polish market, logistics can be challenging, as warehouses are scattered all over the country and volumes might be small per client. This used to be very challenging for us, but these days we’ve perfected our rhythm. To obtain our berries, we actually use some of the same contacts that we export our berries to when we’re in the midst of the export season. For strawberries, we use our contacts in Huelva, for example.”
According to Piotr, the idea of heart-shaped packaging didn’t just come to them, it was actually a couple of their clients that suggested special packaging for Valentine’s day: “When speaking of demand, blueberries did really well in the December month. As always, when Valentine’s day gets close, demand for strawberries gets stronger. Consumers connect the red fruit to the day of love, and this is why a supermarket actually came to us suggesting we develop special packaging for the Valentine’s Day strawberries. Now we normally like to keep our packaging simple, as it’s easier on our employees as well as the costs. However, when we showcased our heart-shaped containers on social media, it gained a lot of traction and interest for the packaging. We even had companies contact us that are in a completely different business, like bakers. However, our production capability is limited, as well as the availability of strawberries, but it’s been a solid debut for the packaging.”
Given the success of the packaging, Piotr and Sandra definitely see opportunities to expand on this on other holidays, as well as next year: “There are possibilities to use this packaging again for Mother’s day, for instance. So we’re definitely looking into that. Also, given how popular the packaging has become, we might prepare a bit earlier for Valentine’s Day in 2023. That being said, we couldn’t have packaged more berries this season even if we had more heart-shaped containers. As supply is limited, if someone decides to purchase strawberries in last moment, they probably will have to pay rather high speculative prices, but things should calm down once after Valentine’s Day is behind us.”
Additionally, Sandra and Piotr commented on the current blueberry market: “The Chilean blueberry season has been rather challenging, as they’ve faced issues with labor, as well as the logistical side of things. Getting containers is difficult and we’ve seen delays happen. When berries are stuck at sea for weeks, it impacts the quality of the berries on arrival. It’s been rougher than usual this year, and challenging to obtain the right quality of berries at the right price for Polish consumers."
For more information:
Sandra Stefaniak-Syguła
Berrytrade
Tel: +48 692 640 720
Email: sandra@berry-trade.com
www.berry-trade.com