e gateway to Europe for much of the fresh produce that enters the continent, the Netherlands has plenty of suppliers of fresh fruits and vegetables. When Fresco Foods decided to establish a presence there, and by extension establish a presence in Europe, they wanted to add something that not many other suppliers could offer. The idea, according to Fresco's Carlos Alfaro, was to give retailers direct access to growers in order to provide transparency about the quality of produce coming in.“The main
reason people will pay the price they end up paying is because of quality,” explained Alfaro. Contrary to the idea that customers will always go with the cheapest option, he noted that price is, far from the biggest concern for his customers, actually the fourth thing his clients consider when contemplating a purchase.“The first priority is quality – if that's right, then the customer will understand that quality often comes at a higher price, and he will pay the price for good quality,” said Alfaro. “Second comes availability, that is if the supplier is able to deliver on a year-round basis, and then, third, they want to know that the supplier can reliably offer the product all the time.” That's where they come in, Alfaro said. Because of their contacts with lime growers in Mexico and growers of exotic fruit from around the world, they can establish a direct line of communication between Fresco's clients and the growers supplying the produce.
“Customers want to have quality assurance, they want to know exactly where the product is coming from,” said Alfaro. Knowing exactly where produce is sourced and how it's grown is becoming more important, especially for customers who are concerned about traceability.
“It's very important, especially for chain stores to be able to trace back product right away and have an immediate response to any problems,” said Alfaro. With that in mind, he said that Fresco also inspects all shipments once they arrive in the Netherlands to make sure there are no problems. If any problems are found and the customer is not satisfied with the product, Fresco takes back the shipment. Alfaro said that helps build trust among their clients, which is important for a company like theirs, which is relatively new. He believes that once more retailers notice the range of quality products they can provide on a consistent and year-round basis, they'll be able to expand throughout the rest of Europe and into the Middle East.
“We don't want to be in every market,” said Alfaro.” But we do want to be in the best quality markets, and for us, that means expanding into the UK and the Middle East.”
For more information:
C.M. Alfaro
Fresco Foods B.V.
Tel: +31 (0)10 310 3091
Mob: +31 (0)64 683 2882
[email protected]
