Looking back, the fiscal year of 2023 was satisfactory for the Düsseldorf wholesale market, says Roland Tolls, Managing Director of Berger & Tolls & Co. "The wholesale market in Düsseldorf will close on December 31, 2024. Nevertheless, we, the Düsseldorf Wholesale Market Cooperative, hope to turn things around. We aim to keep all businesses together, maintaining the wholesale market, which is not easy. We are looking for an area of 40,000 sqm with a 15,000 sqm hall. We are heavily advertising on our website, Instagram and Facebook."
If no alternative is found during the year, some companies would have to cease operations. "For us, this means that we will look for a 2,000 sqm hall and continue working from there. It will be extremely challenging to ensure the procurement and supply of our wide range of products. However, for our customers, nothing will change for now."
Security of supply through wholesale markets
For many years, the existence of publicly funded wholesale markets has been questioned. "During the pandemic, many retail shelves were empty temporarily. Meanwhile, wholesale markets nationwide functioned well. We were always able to deliver, particularly because we are quite well connected regionally. Wholesale markets are major buyers of regional goods and also a focal point for marketing fruits and vegetables from local farmers."
Tolls points out that approximately 18 million people live in North Rhine-Westphalia. "If the two largest wholesale markets in NRW, Düsseldorf and Cologne, were to close in 2024 and 2025 respectively, I dread to think what this would mean for the remaining wholesale markets. If for any reason the supply chains break down again, the importance of wholesale markets will become clear again. They essentially function like an emergency logistics system, which will then no longer exist."
According to the city, the wholesale market is no longer relevant for supply, says Tolls. "They claim that the people of Cologne and Düsseldorf would not go hungry if tomorrow we no longer existed. However, restaurateurs, hospitals and nursing homes would momentarily falter and have to adapt accordingly. Furthermore, it is said that the management of the wholesale market is a deficit for the city of Düsseldorf. We, as a cooperative, will point to the fact that the city itself is to blame for this predicament. If the city were to work appropriately with its staff at the wholesale market, there would be profitability. The city has simply mismanaged things."
Higher sales share in pre-cut goods
Contrary to some other companies, Tolls had a generally good business year in 2023. "We even gained new customers and we were able to expand our turnover. Particularly with ready-made salad mixes, such as wild herb salads, baby spinach and arugula, we achieved a higher sales share, both in fine dining and in the ready-to-go sector." Tolls gets the goods from a company in Germany as well as from the Netherlands and Italy. Moreover, berries developed as a strong product in winter sales.
Compared to previous years, prices have been more robust and stable. "The prices for fruits and vegetables have not skyrocketed, as is often reported in the media. There were indeed higher prices in the restaurant industry, but that hardly deterred most people from dining out." Just like in the restaurant industry, wholesale markets are also interested in keeping prices as stable as possible and ideally not passing them on to customers.
"I look forward to 2024 with some optimism. Every item of bad news could also be seen as an opportunity for improvement. Without the wholesale market, it certainly won't be easy. After all, we have been working here symbiotically for decades. But who knows, maybe new opportunities will arise in the future. Despite everything, we are trying to convince Mayor Keller to rethink the site. We will leave no stone unturned," Tolls concludes.
For more information:
Roland Tolls
Berger & Tolls GmbH & Co. KG
Eickener Str. 40
41366 Schwalmtal
Tel.: +49 (0) 2163-576928-0
Fax: +49 (0) 2163-576928-19
Email: info@bergerundtolls-fruechte.de
Internet: www.bergerundtolls-fruechte.de