Carnival either has nothing to do with you, or your diary has long blocked the week. But does it impact fresh produce sales? We asked several wholesalers in the typical Carnival regions.
"Carnival does influence sales, but not as significantly as it used to. In the Netherlands, many catering businesses close, reducing their need for supplies. In Germany, the impact varies greatly between different regions. For instance, in Catholic cities like Cologne and Düsseldorf, Carnival is still widely celebrated," says Ad Pollux of Eurofresh in Venlo. "In the run-up to Carnival, there is increased demand from catering businesses that cater to the nightlife crowd, such as shawarma shops and cafeterias. Cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, and onions are particularly in demand during this period."
"Additionally, some German customers order small-sized fruit well in advance to be thrown as confetti," says Ad, who was Prince Carnival in Venlo 32 years ago. "Eighty percent of our team celebrate Carnival passionately. Here in Venlo, it remains very much alive, and even the younger generation is raised with it. Research shows that the number of Carnival revelers has remained unchanged over the past ten years: 51% of Limburgers dress up and take part. In Venlo, it's even getting busier, as people from surrounding villages are moving into the city to celebrate. We have adjusted our opening hours accordingly, closing at noon on Mondays and Tuesdays instead of 3 PM. But by Wednesday, it's back to business as usual."
Vastelaovend in Venlo
According to Loek Smets of P. Smets in Geleen, Carnival celebrations are highly localized. "It really depends on the village or city. Personally, I feel that in German cities like Cologne and Aachen, the celebrations are much livelier than here in the Netherlands. Our customers are spread within a 150-kilometer radius around Geleen, so many of them are unaffected by Carnival. However, in the true Carnival regions, sales do dip slightly during that week."
"In these areas, there's a slight increase in sales of iceberg lettuce and Spanish onions, particularly for shawarma during Carnival. Here in Limburg, people are still allowed to throw oranges, so we always see a few extra crates of them being ordered for the parades." When it comes to staffing, Smets has a mix of colleagues—some are devoted Carnival celebrants, while others prefer to work. "This year, my wife and I have reached a compromise. She loves Carnival, and I love skiing, so we'll celebrate Carnival until Monday, and after that, I'll be off to the slopes."
For more information:
Ad Pollux
Eurofresh
Mob: +31 (0)6 11180209
[email protected]
www.eurofresh.nl
Loek Smets
P. Smets & Zn
Hofdwarsweg 11
6161 DE Geleen
046 47 42 381
[email protected]
www.psmets.nl
