Bouquet seedless watermelons are Anecoop France's flagship summer fruit, and the company now wants to make the persimmon the new star of the winter season! A "strategic product" for the cooperative, which wants to democratize this fruit on the French market. "Today, the fruit offer during the winter mainly revolves around apples, pears and citrus fruit. The persimmon has a lot to offer during the last few months of the year, as it can provide a sweet alternative for the winter period," explains Camille Broussoux, trade marketing and communications manager at Anecoop France.
Only 2 out of 10 French people eat persimmons
Spain is the 2nd largest producer of persimmons (after China) with 480,000 tons a year, 45% of which are grown by Anecoop producers. "We market just over 10,000 tons of persimmons in France, a country which imported over 22,300 tons of persimmons in 2022. Today, we are present in all French supermarket chains and central purchasing offices. To increase distribution, we need to increase consumption, as only 2 out of 10 French people currently eat persimmons.
The Persimmon Bouquet: another way of eating persimmons
Although France is the second largest producer and consumer of persimmons in Europe, this fruit, which has been grown in China for over 2,500 years, is struggling to win over French consumers. "The persimmon is a fruit that is known to be soft and tart. But there is another way to eat persimmons. The Bouquet Rojo Brillante persimmon is actually sweet, firm and crunchy! Matured in a sealed room, it retains its firmness while losing its astringency. "This hard persimmon variety can be eaten as a snack, just like any apple or pear, and this is what we need to promote. Our persimmon also has a guarantee of quality that appeals to consumers. It is grown on the banks of the river Xúquer near Valencia, and benefits from the Kaki Ribera del Xúquer PDO." The Bouquet persimmon is a PDO persimmon!
Massive investment in marketing resources to democratize persimmons
In order to democratize the consumption of persimmons in France, Anecoop is going all out in terms of marketing. "We have invested massively in advertising spots on national TV channels to promote the Kaki Bouquet. We are also communicating on the different ways of cooking it, because it can be just as good cooked, savoury or sweet as it can be eaten on the go. We support our retail clients with training for shelf teams, merchandising recommendations, shelf signage and store displays."
Changing the place of persimmons on the shelves?
With the aim of democratizing the product, the company is proposing to review its position on supermarket shelves. "As the persimmon is a product originating from Asia, it is generally placed among the exotic fruits. However, the tests we carried out in collaboration with a partner chain proved that positioning it in the apple/pear section increased sales by 30%, because it corresponds to similar consumer needs. This shows the incredible potential of this fruit on the French market."
For more information:
Camille Broussoux
Anecoop France
Phone: +33(0)4 68 68 38 34
[email protected]