This week the Zonhovense fruit trader Fruit At Work has red kiwis in their assortment. The red kiwis are from Zespri and come from Italy. "The availability of the red kiwi was very limited. There was only one pallet available for us," says Yannick Aerts of Fruit At Work. "Last year the numbers supplied were even lower than they are now. Together with the importer we worked hard for months to get the red kiwi. We are one of a few traders to receive the product. We are doing everything to get more volume in, but the chances are slim."
Premium
"Our customers demand for the red kiwi is high. We can consider it a success. The customers were very positive about the product. The quality of the red kiwi was also very good. As a premium brand we are obligated to offer our customers only the best," says Yannick. Fruit At Work has kept the communication towards their customers very limited due to the limited supply. "The numbers were so limited that we weren't able to surprise everyone with this great product. There's nothing worse than advertising a product and then having to disappoint your customers because the product is sold out."
Price
The price for the red kiwis was €1 each, but customers pay a set price for their Fruit At Work fruit box, so the company took the costs entirely upon themselves. "We only offered the product for that price at the weekly Sunday market in Zonhoven. We notice that customers will pay a higher price for good quality products. You can't allow a single blemish when this is the case. The consumer doesn't buy it by kilo, but by piece. View it like dining in a 5 star restaurant. Flavour and quality are above quantity," says Aerts.
Sensitive
Although the quality and flavour of the red kiwi is very good, the shelf life is not as good as that of the yellow kiwi. "It's a more sensitive product and therefore cannot be stored for as long. Yet it is a product for the real fruit lover, customers who buy their fruit by piece and not by bag. The red kiwi is also a great product for top restaurants to work with," concludes Yannick.
Fruit At Work
Senator A. Jeurissenlaan 1154
Bus B
3520 Zonhoven
+32(0)11 825 844
[email protected]
www.fruitatwork.eu