On Tuesday, May 16, Knuspr invited members of the press to take a look behind the scenes and also introduced the regional producers. For around two years, customers in the Munich and Frankfurt areas have been able to order fresh produce via the online service. In doing so, the company specifically focuses on regional, sustainable and, above all, fresh produce, which should reach customers within a few hours. They also want to offer fair prices to the respective partners.
(From left:) Carlos Steidl (Senior Category Manager Fruit & Vegetables), Manuel Kalleder (Press Officer), Carolin Kracmer (Marketing Director), Stephan Lüger (Commercial Director) and Olin Novák (CEO International Rohlik Group).
Marketing Director Carolin Kracmer, who, according to her own statements, has herself been a Knuspr customer for quite some time, was enthusiastic about the offer. "What makes Knuspr special is the constant innovations in every area. We want to make shopping easier and more enjoyable for our customers," Kracmer said. More than 600 new products are requested by customers every year in this regard and are added to the range accordingly. Thanks to its structure, the company is also able to respond specifically to customer requests. For example, the minimum order value during the week has been lowered again to 29.00 euros. Meanwhile, she describes the "Hörnchen Club", which is aimed at parents-to-be and parents with children under 12, as a "matter of the heart". She also had words of praise for the "save-me bag", which significantly reduces food waste, and referred to the company's own production of compostable paper bags.
Knuspr's production partners (from left): Benedikt and Hans Gänger, Sebastian Brandl, Johannes Stockner, Florian Böck, Alberto Ballabeni. Also present was the mozzarella manufacturer Oi Fra.
According to Senior Category Manager Carlos Steidl, the most important topics include regionality, freshness and close cooperation with the individual partners. "We are all about authentic taste. We rely on our partners to make this accessible to customers. While customers also want to access their standard range, 45 percent of purchases are represented by rarities. The company also wants to enable smaller businesses and manufacturers in the region to offer special products. The ultra-freshness can be guaranteed due to the short supply chain - from the field to the central warehouse and directly to the customer. "Harvested in the morning, already with the customer in the afternoon," is the motto here.
Through the "Genuss-Helden" program, regional farms with smaller structures are supported with a marketing offer worth 10,000 euros. "With the partner farms, we plan through the seasons and also make use of older varieties. We also offer the platform to offer special products - even in smaller quantities. We can switch off individual items at any time. However, this seasonal plan also helps to take the pressure of harvesting off the farmers. Our goal is to offer over 300 items from regional production this season. Accordingly, we will also individualize the cardboard packaging with appropriate data on the partners to make it clear that they are unique and not interchangeable."
Knuspr employs a total of 1,400 people, both as drivers and in the warehouse, where 300 to 400 people work alone. More than 12,000 items are located in the central warehouse in Garching.
Farmer Florian Böck confirmed the good cooperation. "Knuspr Munich approached us about two years ago to market our regionally produced vegetables on their platform. We were convinced by the Knuspr concept from the beginning and more than positively surprised." He, on the other hand, found much more critical words towards stationary trade: "Discounters and food retailers prefer profit and positive figures to long-term partnerships with regional producers. We no longer want to play along with this unfair game." Because in view of the high production costs, such as for wages and energy, this is not possible, he says.
Furthermore, Böck appeals to the media: "Stop writing that food is too expensive. If a cell phone costs 1,800 euros, that's normal, but if a cucumber costs 1.90 euros, everyone is in an uproar. We are looking for fair partners who also value selling regional products to customers; customers are enthusiastic about the quality and freshness of the products."
Stefan Lüger emphasizes that, compared to stationary retail, many costs, such as for transport, would be eliminated, while CEO Olin Novák points out that, for the time being, the company would like to concentrate on the locations in the Rhine-Main area as well as Munich before turning its attention to other regions. Although a fully automated warehouse in Hamburg is already in the pipeline, the existing locations should first be profitable before the doors are opened for this, says Manuel Kallender.
Next week, you will find an article on Knuspr's 10,000 m² central warehouse in Garching here.
For more information:
Großer Kern GmbH
Tal 30
80331 München
Tel: +49 89 307 688 90
E-Mail: info@knuspr.de
Mail: www.knuspr.de