For decades, Schwarzwälder Frischebörse Gaiser KG has been considered a trendsetter in the trade of fruit, vegetables, and other food products by restaurateurs, commercial kitchens, butchers, and specialist retailers in the northern Black Forest. "We think differently than many of our colleagues," says Axel Gaiser (pictured below), who has been at the helm of the company for 30 years now. With a wide range of products, 24-hour service, strategic acquisitions and sales strategies, as well as personal relationships with each individual customer, Gaiser has secured a leading position for itself.
© Gaiser KG
High convenience on the rise
Fruit and vegetables now account for around two-thirds of total sales, with demand for traditional crate goods gradually continuing to decline. Due to the precarious shortage of skilled workers in the catering industry, the market is increasingly tending towards high-quality convenience products. Gaiser: "For example, we are the exclusive partner of Dahlhoff, a company specializing in delicatessen products for butchers and delicatessens, in our sales area. Our core competence continues to lie in offering exclusive products that are in constant demand. In addition, smaller quantities can also be reordered around the clock. This is the only way we can compete with large corporations today."
In addition, Gaiser has been producing fresh fruit salads for ten years now. "Initially, we offered our fruit salad in three varieties, but now we only sell the Hawaiian mix, as this is the most popular item in terms of sales. It is a hand-cut fruit salad with pineapple as the main ingredient. This salad also contains various types of melon as well as red and green apples."
© Hugo Huijbers | FreshPlaza.com
Part of the vehicle fleet with an old-timer
Transport not decisive for pricing
At the procurement level, Gaiser is in the midst of its annual seasonal change. German lettuces are now increasingly coming to an end and are being replaced by loads from southern France. In the citrus sector, the switch to Spanish oranges and Clemenules clementines will take place in week 45. For the melons needed for fruit salads, produce from Spain and France has been used until now. Here, the Southern Hemisphere season is now getting underway in leaps and bounds. Gaiser: "Interestingly, the first overseas melons, especially cantaloupe, are cheaper than the last Spanish produce. This shows once again that the transport route is not always decisive for the final price. All in all, we can look back on a mixed European melon season, in which prices were sometimes driven up sharply in the summer due to bottlenecks. What worries me is that, as market concentration progresses both at home and abroad, more and more small farms are disappearing. This will contribute to bottlenecks in the future when less and less produce is available for free marketing."
Although digitalization has not bypassed Gaiser, personal interaction, whether with customers or suppliers, remains high on the agenda. "Today, we don't sell products, we sell solutions. At the beginning of my career, I learned during a seminar that 80% of all purchasing decisions are made emotionally and only 20% rationally. In our sector today, service is worth more than price."
© Hugo Huijbers | FreshPlaza.com
The Caparros range is one of the quality brands for fruit and vegetables. Well over 300 items make up the basic range, consisting of fruit, lettuce, vegetables, and fine specialties.
Added value in the region
With the takeover of the traditional Steimle canned food company shortly after the turn of the century, a branch of the company was created that, thanks to its high-quality standards, contributes significantly to the further development of Frischebörse. The main customers in this area include butchers, delicatessens, and event organizers. "Sauerkraut season is now in full swing. From October to February, sauerkraut is an absolute bestseller, even at club events. Throughout the year, we have been able to build up a stable business with sour and gourmet gherkins from our quality brand Steimle." They act solely as brand owners or distributors and source the products directly from regional manufacturers, ensuring that the added value remains in the region. "Fresh produce is primarily sold in the immediate vicinity (70-80 km radius), whereas the distribution area for canned goods is much larger, as these customers often only need to be supplied once a month."
© Hugo Huijbers | FreshPlaza.comSauerkraut season is now in full swing. There were some bottlenecks with gherkins this year, but these were resolved thanks to good, long-standing partnerships, so that the company was spared major quantity and delivery problems.
Market consolidation in the catering industry
All in all, Gaiser is confident about the future. "Sales in the communal catering and social institutions sector are more stable than ever. However, mergers and central purchasing policies are sometimes causing us problems. This means that sales are still good, but not as easy as they were 10-20 years ago. The company canteen sector is weakening due to short-term working and the home office. We fear that this trend will continue in the coming years. In the third sales area, namely catering, the wheat is currently being separated from the chaff. Fortunately, there is still a wide range of good catering establishments in our region that are working at full capacity every day." 
© Hugo Huijbers | FreshPlaza.com
Schwarzwälder Frischebörse Gaiser KG was founded in its current form in 1995. However, the foundation for this successful family business was laid over 70 years ago.
For more information:
Axel Gaiser
Schwarzwälder Frischebörse Gaiser KG
Specialized Wholesale - Import
Seeweg 30
72178 Waldachtal-Salzstetten
Phone: 07486 97980
Mail: [email protected]
www.gaiser-frischeboerse.de
