Sinterklaas has arrived in Belgium and the Netherlands. Supermarkets are offering many Sinterklaas-themed candies and cookies. Sanllo, too, has now started offering its clementine-filled burlap Sinterklaas bags again. "For that, we use Clemenules, the best variety each year. That coinciding exactly with the holiday season is, of course, very convenient," begins Sharon Veroone of the Spanish company, which targets the Belgian and Dutch markets with this.
Sanllo began with these little bags three weeks ago. "That was with the first Clemenules without leaves. We began with the leafed variety this week, and we're well-pleased with the quality. The flavor, sweetness, and juice content are excellent. The only problem is that they're far smaller due to the sweltering summer. Though, that's actually advantageous for these bags. We use size 2-3, of which there are more than enough."
The company introduced its Sinterklaas-themed line last year. "The response was overwhelmingly positive. That interest has increased tremendously this year, so several other parties have also decided to join this trend. It's time-consuming manual work," Sharon admits.
"But we definitely see benefits from it. The festive season usually involves lots of candy, but this packaging offers a healthy alternative that kids recognize. Supermarkets focus on that, too, because shoppers are more likely to reach for something that's displayed with many other same-themed products."
Sharon says these bags are purely for the retail sector, where demand is good. "This themed line of citrus sells very well, and demand usually explodes as Christmas approaches," she says.
Price-wise, Sharon does not expect any problems either. "I think we can work with fantastic prices for these bags. In citrus, it's mostly oranges that are expensive due to their unusually low volumes. For clementines, prices are correct."
The company offers these Sinterklaas bags in small 1.5kg format. "These hold about ten pieces and lend themselves well to the Sinterklaas theme," says Veroone. "You can also reuse the bags. They're sturdy, so they can also be used to store other products or, say, toys. After last year, we see many children choose to do that this year."
"That means it's sustainable, too, something our company is increasingly looking to capitalize on. Many similar promotions often contain plastic, but our bags are completely plastic-free and, I think, nicer. After Sinterklaas, we'll keep going until the New Year, using the same line, but on a Christmas theme," Sharon concludes.
For more information:
Sharon Veroone
Sanllo
Tel: +34 (0) 673 206 269
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.sanlloexport.com