On Thursday, 12 September, the Moldovan "Nr1" opened its third hypermarket in the country's capital, Chisinau. The day after the official opening, FreshPlaza went to take a look and spoke to fruit and vegetable purchasing manager, Mihail Zolotuhin. Besides three hypermarkets, this chain has more than a dozen mid-sized supermarkets in Chisinau. "As the capital region's economy grows, so does "Nr1" retail offer," begins Mihail.
Moldovan apricots and saturn peaches for €1.55 and €2.05 per kilo; Brazilian limes cost €5.55/kg. (1 MDL = €0.052)
When possible, the chain buys seasonal fruit from local growers: apples, grapes, stone fruit, strawberries, raspberries, yellow melons, watermelons, and walnuts.
Dutch Conference pears €2/kg and local Golden apples for € 0.75 per kilo.
Apples are the cheapest, most popular type of fruit. You can buy a kilogram of Gala or Red Chief apples for €0.50. "Bananas are the second most popular fruit. Mandarins and grapes also do well. But when the Moldovan grape season is over, and grapes are imported from Peru, prices skyrocket and demand plummets."
Avocados: loose and two in a tray.
In the summer, the stores get citrus from South Africa via the port of Rotterdam; in the winter, 80% comes from Turkey. They source the best quality from Greece and Spain. "Spanish fruit has a good reputation," says Mihail. Bananas come from Ecuador while other exotics are imported through a Dutch importer. "Avocado is the most popular exotic fruit and also the fastest growing. In ten years, sales have increased tenfold. A quarter of the volume is sold as ready-to-eat."
Baby pineapples from Mauritius for €8.25/kg and Colombian passion fruit for €15.15 per kilo. "Nr1" carries a wide range of exotics. Because of their pricey nature, consumption is low but steady.
In September, the store offers pomegranates from South Africa for €7.25 per kilogram.
Along with loose products - often from Moldova - these hypermarkets' fruit and vegetable sections have plenty of prepackaged premium and convenience products, too. "The share of convenience is rising in our outlets," says Zolotuhin.
Prepackaged cherry tomatoes, corn, red beets, and carrots.
Among the vegetables, the cucumbers, aubergines, onions, garlic, and potatoes are locally grown. The chain also gets its tomatoes from Turkey, imports bell peppers and broccoli from the Netherlands, and Italy is the origin of pre-packed lettuce.
There is a wide range of prepackaged lettuce mixes and fresh herbs.
Bunches of fresh herbs.
The garlic, onions (€0.85/kg), and potatoes (€0.50/kg) come from local growers.
New in the retailer's assortment are the 'baby versions' of certain products, including zucchini, pineapples, corn, bell peppers, leeks, and kiwi berries.
Beans, snow peas, and baby zucchini are premium products; bell peppers from the Netherlands go for between €3.15 and €3.65 per kilo.
Local bell peppers sell for €1/kg, with mini bell peppers and mini leeks being somewhat pricier.
"We try to do everything in our power to satisfy the consumer needs" concludes Mihail, proudly walking through his brand new, appealing fruit and vegetable department.
For more information:
Mihail Zolotuhin (Purchasing Manager)
"Nr1"
Chisinau, Moldova
[email protected]
www.nr1.md
Already published in this series:
1. Introduction 1: The EU embraces Moldova, regarding trading too
2. Introduction 2: Tariff-free fresh produce exports to EU a boost for Moldovan exporters
3. Terra Vitis: Trying to find the best seedless grape for our climate
4. PDG Fruct: We want to be the region's stone fruit logistic hub
5. Velfruct: We export apples and plums to ten EU countries, with three more planned
6. Staragro: Antony Blinken enjoyed Moldovan cherries
7. Dor Fruct: You get good prices for quality plums throughout November
8. Moreller: Besides Spain, Germany and Belgium we hope to soon supply cherries to Scandinavian retailers
9. Fruct Grup: Agritourism can supplement our cultivation activities nicely
10. Ionex Trans: With a flow pack line for grapes and stone fruit, we're well-positioned to supply retailers