Inflationary price fluctuations, as well as acute shortages, are currently shaping events in fruit wholesale. "Fortunately, bottlenecks have not yet been observed, although we are also noticing that producers are planning their goods more precisely, and food retailers are securing the largest volumes. Accordingly, there are fewer goods left for us to fall back on as fruit wholesalers," says Andreas Lange, joint managing director of Peter Keuthmann GmbH & Co. KG, based at the Berlin wholesale market.
As a recognized quality supplier, Keuthmann carries a broad portfolio of brands and, among other things, is the exclusive supplier of Sanlucar at the local wholesale market and the sole German contractual partner of the Caparros brand. Lange: "Spanish strawberries from Sanlucar are particularly scarce at the moment. We even offered Belgian greenhouse produce until weeks 3-4 this year, until it finally became too expensive."
Andreas Lange shows the bell pepper mix from exclusive partner Caparros.
The cold snap in Spain has also had a noticeable impact on the procurement situation in the fruit-vegetable sector, Lange continues. "Thanks to the long-standing partnership with Caparros, we can fall back on certain quantities and good qualities even in the event of a shortage of goods. The continuous supply of goods is thus always guaranteed." As the exclusive supplier for Caparros on the German market, Keuthmann has a loyal customer network with partners at all wholesale markets in Germany.
Accordingly, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, and the like are still available in sufficient quantities. Lange: "Nevertheless, it is becoming more critical in some cases for the 'smaller' items that we purchase from Caparros. For example, in the case of Lobello egg-cherry tomatoes, the quantities are currently too low to cover demand."
Trend towards unusual articles
Furthermore, Lange observes an increasing demand for the new and surprising. "For example, we have traded kale for a very long time this year. Fancy products, such as Cima di Rappa, are also rising in favor with consumers, and thus with our buyer."
Online trading and fruit baskets as a growth market
For 70 years now, Keuthmann GmbH has been firmly anchored in regional fruit wholesaling. "Our buyers still include mainly restaurateurs, resellers as well as weekly market traders, although online and shipping trade, as well as fruit basket delivery, have boomed rapidly during the pandemic. We are following this trend and see this area as an interesting and growing sales market," Lange says.
For more information:
Andreas Lange
Peter Keuthmann GmbH & Co. KG
Großmarkt Berlin
Tel.: +49 (0)30 39 40 99-0
Fax: +49 (0)30 39 40 99-250
E-Mail: [email protected]
www.keuthmann.net