"When I made all my customers sell my fruit for twice the price of other strawberries, everyone called me crazy. But now the situation is out of control for our strawberries. The demand is much greater than the supply. Candy is the most in-demand and most lucrative strawberry ever," says Loris Gentile, sales manager of the Italian Gentile Group, while explaining the project of the Candy® line, born during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic emergency.
"Our sales are 70% for the domestic market and 30% for Germany, Belgium, Austria and the Netherlands," says the manager.
Francesca Quinto and Loris Gentile
The Gentile Group, a horticultural cooperative founded by Loris Gentile and Francesca Quinto during the pandemic, focuses on high-quality fruit. The company from the Basilicata region of Italy, which has established its brand with exclusive fruit and vegetable products such as white strawberries, baby plums and soft fruit, is focused on a premium selection, the Candy line.
Francesca Quinto, manager of the company: "This is a brand for those who demand absolute quality, with a strict company protocol and rigorous quality control. Candy's philosophy is to guarantee a product that stands out from the crowd decisively and consistently throughout the entire production period. It was very difficult to reach this level. but we believed in it from the beginning and the results did not take long to show. The choice of brand, color and type of packaging is one of our strengths, which can add value to a product."
We collected feedback from two Italian operators. For example, from the Veneto region, Romina Morando of the company Graziano Morando Srl in the Verona vegetable market said that "the Candy strawberry prevails over all other strawberries and it is the first one that sells early in the morning, even though this fruit is quite expensive. The greatness of the aesthetically pleasing packaging goes along with the extremely good taste of a sweet, conical, shiny strawberry with a very long shelf life. We believe in the Candy project because we are sure it is the right approach to overcome the unstable market situation of recent years."
From Apulia, Alessandro Di Noia of the company Cassetta Antonio Sas also shared about his experience. "I started the first shipments last year. I honestly admit that I was shocked by the very high price imposed by Loris Gentile, because it was double the price of other strawberries. However, from the very first sale it became clear that this insane request was well-grounded. Customers kept coming back for Candy, becoming the queen of strawberries. With a high-quality product, we can make more money. What a vendor earns from selling two pallets of regular strawberries, I earn from selling one pallet of Candy strawberries. I am happy to be one of the promoters of this unique strawberry in southern Italy."
"In recent weeks, we have involved several Apulian fruit growers and associations in organizing themed events. On 8 May 2023, Candy's fourth regional event in Apulia will be attended by regional President Michele Emiliano and buyers from Florida."
The Candy line continues to amaze. After the white strawberry, which was presented in 2022, the Gentile Group has continued growing the black strawberry. "We will be painting markets and fruit stores pink with Candy, offering positivity in an uncertain market. Everything starts in Policoro, the heart of Metapontino, a town we are very attached to," concluded Loris Gentile.
For more informationi:
Gentile Group
Via S. Valicenti, 6
75025 - Policoro (Mt)
(+39) 379 2280437
direzione@gentilegroupitalia.it
gentilegroupitalia.it