It is increasingly difficult for fruit and vegetable wholesalers to survive. Problems with finding staff or successors are lurking, leading to more and more takeovers. Ghent wholesaler De Blaeij also suffered a similar fate two years ago when it was taken over by Thiry Gent. With the takeover, Perry Verstraaten also made the switch to the wholesaler, which is part of the Primamundo Group. "It actually turned out to be the ideal solution, as we operate in all regions of Belgium within the group. With this coming together, we now act as a strong base in the Ghent and surrounding areas," the experienced trader explained.
Perry and his right-hand man Yilmaz.
It was over two years ago when the group decided to incorporate De Blaeij into its organisation. "The owners of De Blaeij were coming of age and didn't really have a successor. I got a call whether I wanted to make the switch, but actually indicated right away that it was only a possibility if they took over De Blaeij," Perry explained. "I had worked with them for 30 years, so of course you don't abandon someone then. So the ball started rolling and we made the switch to Thiry. I think it's a good match. A company with the same values, the same way of working, but everything is just a bit bigger now."
Thiry Ghent operates from the local wholesale market, mainly supplying customers in the region. "We buy mainly through the parent company Van Lier in Brussels, but we also look around ourselves at the Mabru and are in contact with wholesalers in region. Additionally, we naturally walk around the auctions or local growers," he continues. In this way, the wholesaler has a diverse range of fruit and vegetables, including several of the group's own brands. "We have our own line of apples under the Jack brand. We also have several products from Cordero, Orchidea and Papillon that people often recognise on the shelves. Moreover, we do a lot of Turbana bananas. I see the demand for these growing every week. This is unprecedented, but the Turkish community in Ghent only wants Turbana bananas."
Turkish community
And in this Turkish community lies a large part of the Ghent wholesaler's clientele. Or at least a large part of the customers Perry is in contact with. "Don't get me wrong. We supply basically everything you can think of in a 10-kilometre radius around Ghent. Markets, supermarkets, hotels and restaurants, but Turkish traders as well. That is also the strength of this company. If one segment drops out, we can fall back on others. However, Turkish traders have a large share in this. Ghent has a considerable Turkish community, where fresh fruit and vegetables are still very important in the kitchen. In that culture, everything has to be fresh and top quality, and they also buy goods from the local supermarket or specialist shop. These come to us, allowing us to guarantee the best quality. In fact, we can refresh continuously, so nothing stays in stock for long. Moreover, they are willing to pay for good product. The consequent word-of-mouth advertising ensures that people will come back."
Perry therefore sees that this customer group is very loyal to Thiry, provided the service is up to scratch. "Word of mouth is really the best advertisement you can have. To achieve this, though, it is just important these days to provide a top service. It is hard to stand out in today's times, so you have to convince people to come back. It can be done by welcoming them here and taking them through the range and possibilities, but also, for example, by stopping by if they are short of something. Whenever I am in the area, I will throw some goods in my car and stop by. The advantage is also that you can have a chat with this client. We can then, for example, look at starting a promotion or highlighting a new product. That's what people want and that's what we like to offer. The contact sometimes goes so far that I am invited to a customer's birthday party. That, of course, is fantastic," Perry laughs.
The watermelons with the 'red sticker'.
Watermelon with red sticker
Quality is the key here, he assures. "This is all well and good, of course, but if you don't provide quality goods, the contacts will dwindle quickly. That is why we do not aim to be the cheapest, but are always looking for the right quality. This is becoming increasingly important., in Belgium in particular. We are ready to respond to that. Look at strawberries. If they are beautiful and tasty, clients will take them."
"Another example: We have a type of watermelon here from a supplier, which has a big red sticker on it. These are very popular among some of our customers. So it doesn't matter how expensive they are. When they call or drop by, it's: 'I want the watermelon with the red sticker'. A cheaper one, which might be at least as tasty, they don't want. The one with the red sticker is quality, so they will buy it. Regardless of the price. It is wonderful to work on quality rather than price. We see this with strawberries and melons, but Spanish stone fruit, Italian grapes and Belgian cherries are also very popular at this time of year. Only the weather could be a bit better, if you ask me."
Staffing is a tricky issue
Yet Perry also sees that a lot has changed in the sector over the years, with the challenges only increasing. "I think the biggest problem here lies in finding good workers. You can see that in our clientele, with small specialist shops gradually disappearing more and more. These often have an older manager, but succession is almost impossible to find. So when they reach retirement age, the business disappears. Young people no longer want to buy product at 02.00 and then stand in the shop all day. It's also something you really have to have a passion for, but those people are hardly there anymore."
"On the other hand, we also see it in our own operations," he continues. "Staff are almost impossible to find anymore. Another example: We had a guy over the other day. Fine boy, who did his job well. But after one day, he came to me and indicated that he found it too cold to work all day in a conditioned room. It gave him a runny nose and he decided to leave. Or worse, when you have a job interview scheduled with 3 people and they just don't show up. It's increasingly difficult. We have been looking for a good warehouseman for a while. A jack-of-all-trades. Only they just can't be found. I do have concerns about that towards the future."
Only about drivers, Perry claims, the company has nothing to complain about. "In this, we work a lot with flexi-jobbers. Pensioners who still feel good and don't want to sit at home all day. They come here a few days a week to drive the products around. They are busy and you also earn a nice bit of money. What's more, in Belgium you don't pay any tax on a flexi job. Up to a certain amount, of course, but it makes it interesting and we see that we never have anything to complain about in this area. Only in the workplace do we keep looking, which I always find bizarre. It is the most beautiful job in the world. I have been doing it for decades with enormous pleasure, so I would love to pass on that pleasure to the next generation," Perry concludes.
For more information:
Perry Verstraaten
Thiry Ghent
Brugse Steenweg 7/40 warehouse 25
9940 Evergem, Belgium
+32 (0)9 222 57 11
[email protected]