The situation at Stuttgart wholesale market is currently extremely difficult, he said. "Demand is rather restrained for well-known reasons. Accordingly, we retailers can only score with excellent qualities and unusual items. Because of this, we now offer peaches from Sicily, for example. Although these are somewhat more delicate in handling than the commercially available fruit from Spain, they are particularly well received by our customers," reports Alexander Rebhorn, joint managing director of Friedrich Fuchs GmbH, referring to the approaching end of the stone fruit season.
As the son of a long-established fruit wholesaler, Rebhorn practically grew up in the local wholesale market. After a few years away, he joined the management team at Friedrich Fuchs GmbH in early 2022. "We mainly serve upscale specialty retailers, some food retail markets, and weekly market stallholders. Specialty retail is trending down, which in turn is related to the growth of discounters."
Weekly markets, on the other hand, have boomed during the pandemic, Fuchs continues. "In particular, the shopping experience at weekly markets is clearly valued. Although local markets are generally quite stable, many stalls here are also lacking new recruits. That means those who quit don't have a successor in many cases. This is not yet noticeable in our business, but that may change in ten to fifteen years."
Alexander Rebhorn (left) and his business partner during FreshPlaza.de's wholesale market visit in the summer of 2023. Friedrich Fuchs GmbH has now been based at the wholesale market for 90 years and is one of the oldest market companies on the site.
Compared to other wholesale markets in southwestern Germany, the Stuttgart wholesale market is heavily frequented on a daily basis. Fuchs: "We have a very large catchment area and serve customers as far away as Ulm and in the Lake Constance district. In this respect, Stuttgart wholesale market still seems to be attractive for many market operators and specialist retailers. What sets us apart in this regard, in my opinion, is top service and broad industry knowledge."
For more information:
Alexander Rebhorn
Friedrich Fuchs Gmbh
Großmarkt Stuttgart
T: 0049 172 72 10434
[email protected]