In 2014, Russia imposed an embargo on fruit and vegetables from the EU. When that happened, the Dutch company, S.C. van Ravenswaaij, lost a large part of its export business. However, this wholesaler did not throw in the towel. In recent years, the company has been investing heavily in its store formulas.
S.C. van Ravenswaaij owns De Goudreinet. Four years ago, the wholesaler founded a new concept - De Koopman. Now there are 50 Goudreinet stores and 13 branches of De Koopman in the Netherlands. AGF.nl visited both these stores in S.C. van Ravenswaaij's base of operations, the Dutch town of Veenendaal.
Christiaan van Ravenswaaij at citrus shelf in the new De Goudreinet store in Veenendaal.
"If you had asked me six years ago where I expect the biggest growth, I would certainly have mentioned exports. Not stores. Things, however, turned out exactly the opposite," reflects Christiaan van Ravenswaaij. He represents the company's third generation of Van Ravenswaaijs. He forms part of S.C. van Ravenswaaij's directorship. He is joined by his sister, two cousins, and an uncle.
The company does not only run stores and do exports. Market vendors form the third leg of this Dutch wholesaler's business. "In my opinion, that is an underestimated target group in our trade. The number of market stalls is falling. But, a substantial amount of fruit and vegetables are still being sold at markets every week."
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The Rotterdam-Zwolle region
S.C. van Ravenswaaij 's opened the first De Goudreinet in 1978. "These stores have formed an important pillar of our company for many years now. Throughout the years, they have represented between 40 and 60% of our revenue," says Christiaan. These stores can be found within a 120km radius of Veenendaal.
In the Rotterdam-Zwolle region, there is a De Goudreinet in just about every neighborhood. "We do not want stores further away. This region suits us perfectly, logistically-speaking. We can supply our stores very well with our own trucks. We prefer to have a store near a supermarket. Then you are assured of foot traffic."
In January, a new De Goudreinet location was opened in the center of Veenendaal. It is a mere 150m from the previous store. "You could consider it as De Goudreinet 2.0," explains Christiaan, enthusiastically. "Not only when it comes to the assortment. But the way it is presented is unique for Dutch stores. We prepare and select the best, tastiest products for these stores."
"For example, we not only have a wide range of fruit and vegetables. People can buy fresh salads, meals, and smoothies too. Shoppers can enjoy these in the Goudreinet Café. We also offer a broad assortment of raw nuts. There are cheeses and dairy products in our range too. When we bring overseas suppliers here, they are often amazed at what they see."
De Koopman
"We are continually innovating when it comes to our stores. We want to adapt our assortment to meet demand. We try everything. Often it goes well, sometimes it does not. It is great to have your own stores. You can immediately see if something catches on," continues Van Ravenswaaij. A few years ago, this wholesale company noticed something. There was room in the market for a different kind of concept.
It would attract a different kind of shopper. So, the new store formula concept, 'De Koopman', was born. "In Veenendaal, the De Goudreinet stores is in a prime location in the center of town. De Koopman is in a completely different neighborhood. There is free parking right in front of the store. Both stores are very popular."
De Koopman in Veenendaal.
"With De Koopman, we would rather earn a dime ten times, than a quarter five times. The concept is based on price-conscious buying and selling. You will not find meals and salads so readily at De Koopman. But, if we get a whole batch of passionfruit at a good price, you will find it there," continues Christiaan. "De Koopman's motto is 'Surprising, Fresh, and Affordable'."
"Can we get a batch of smaller oranges? Perfect. We would also do well with size eight cauliflower at De Koopman. That, while we would rather offer size six cauliflowers at De Goudreinet. However, quality is the order of the day at De Koopman too. We are extra aware of prices when we make purchases. But, we do not compromise on quality."
De Koopman has a surprisingly wide range of products.
"Thanks to having our own stores, we can gather a treasure trove of data. It is fascinating. In certain areas, De Koopman is enormously successful. While in other places, there is more room for a De Goudreinet store. In recent years, we have converted a few De Goudreinet stores into De Koopmans and vice versa," says Christiaan.
"In some cities, there is room for both." He does not expect the number of stores to increase sharply in the coming years. "We are not looking to expand. However, if an excellent opportunity arises, we will not shy away. At the same time, we will close down a poor-performing store."
A Goudreinet-café
Increasing focus on plastic
These store formulas also reflect the attention to the environment and plastic reduction. "Up to a few years ago, we would get a couple of emails per year about this. Now, not a week goes by when this does garner a reaction," says the wholesaler.
"We have, therefore, written policy about this. It offers a solution for both our client groups. Supplying our products entirely package-free is not a solution for us. We did a trial run, and it saw sales fall by 30%. We do, however, always offer shoppers the option of packaging products in a paper or rope bag."
Van Ravenswaaij does its own imports too. The company is selective in this. "We have built a reputation when it comes to airfreight mangos and pineapples. We have also done so with the Spanish citrus from Genesis, La Sofia, and Pilarin. But we are permanent supporters of several Dutch importers too. Our stores mean we have good sales; so, we can make good seasonal agreements."
Exporting to Russia is still a good business stream for fruit and vegetable products from outside of the European Union. "I do not see the ban on Dutch fruit and vegetables being lifted any time soon either. Russia is becoming more and more self-sufficient. They have since found their way well," says Christiaan.
Van Ravenswaaij S.C. employs everyone who works at De Goudreinet and De Koopman. "Adding the stores in, we have more than 400 employees. We take care of all the administration in Veenendaal. The store personnel can, therefore, fully focus on the stores. We also support them."
"We advertise sales on social media. We do promotions on big screens in the stores too." Christiaan is confident about the future. "Our sector is on a roll when it comes to publicity. You cannot watch a cooking show on TV or open a magazine without fruit and vegetables being mentioned positively," he concludes.
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For more information:
S.C. van Ravenswaaij
2 De Doelen
3905 TA, Veenendaal, NL
Tel: +31 (0) 318 546 470
[email protected]
www.ravenswaaij.nl
