The origins of Belgian fresh delicacies store Lizzy's New Crop lie in 1987, when owner Annemie opened up a fresh food stand on the side of the road at Westerlo. By working hard and upholding a firm passion in her work she was able to open up a store on the same spot, five years later. "Around that time fresh vegetables started to get popular with customers. The store was supplied by frozen food company Groko and it was a huge hit."
Lemmens
"After ten years we decided it was time for a change. We came up with the GNC concept. It means people can serve themselves and feel right at home in the store. They can stay as long as they want, and taste everything they want. This really caught on."
Annemie Van Eepoel
"Late last year we came into contact with Lemmens Store Supply. Around Christmas time our store was completely refurbished and our assortment was much larger."
"Our dealings with Lemmens worked out perfectly. There was an immediate click. Probably because we share a passion for the trade. I told them my ideas and together we came up with a workable concept. They did their job really well, and I'm ecstatic about the result: the store looks better than ever. It's lean, professional and we even rolled out a walkway for our customers: to help them get acquainted with the concept."
Home-made produce
"Right now we offer a complete fresh dish, with vegetables, fruit, bread and meat. We made more room for convenience and speciality items. All salads, smoothies, dishes, soup, desserts and delicacies are home-made. We have a basic assortment, but add variety and innovation all the time. We distinguish ourselves with freshly-cut vegetables which we market under our own label. These have been so successful that other parties have asked to supply them."
Just a small part of the wide assortment
Our customers come from far and wide. Since last year we installed a little corner, allowing people to sit down and enjoy our food. During summer they can sit in front of the store."
Convenience
Most of the products are bought from wholesaler Fruit Vandepoel on Brussels' fresh market, and from Ben Fresh in Oevel. Annemie notices an increase in convenience. "It's a noticeable trend that young people spend less time in the kitchen. They are, however, very conscious about health and freshness. This is exactly the niche we're trying to serve."
To stay in the loop, and to share her concepts with other retailers, she became a member of BPF. Business Partners in Fresh is a group of 15 progressive, innovative top stores in the fruit and vegetable sector. "We always have to make sure we're ahead of the curve, catering to upcoming trends. You have to 'out-taste' supermarkets. We're not a greengrocer, we are a culinary store! In the future we expect to expand both the store and the assortment. Right now we are thinking about a kitchen with separate sections for hot and cold."
Vegetables are freshly-cut, packaged and sold over the counter
Desserts are available in many interesting varieties
For more information:
Annemie Van Eepoel
Lizzy's Nieuwe Oogst BVBA
De Merodedreef 151-153
2260 Westerlo - België
Tel. 0032 14 54 53 44
Fax 0032 14 54 24 45
[email protected]
www.lizzysnieuweoogst.be