Wholesale markets
Dortmund
Düsseldorf
German wholesale markets weathering the COVID-19 pandemic With the easing of COVID-related restrictions, the lows caused by the pandemic now seem to be over, for the most part. We look back at the past two years of crisis, highlighting the situation in the German fresh food markets. FreshPlaza spoke to numerous wholesale market companies last year about the situation and the mood at local fresh food centres. MAY 2021: “WE HAVE ADAPTED TO THE SITUATION” “We have not had to record any significant sales losses. In food retail, we achieved a 10-20 percent increase in sales last year compared to 2019, and after a difficult phase in March/April 2020, people have now been able to adapt to the situation,” commented Ziya Sizgin of Vienna-based fruit trading company UVA Fruit. He also said that the situation in Turkey, UVA Fruit’s main source country, is now under control. “Despite high incidence levels, I don’t think there will be renewed export stops this year.” JULY 2021: “WE WERE AT LEAST ABLE TO CUSHION THE DAMAGE IN A SMALL WAY” “Because of the lockdown, foodservice to-go offerings in particular have become extremely popular. In that respect, stores that were good customers before, now suddenly gave us a little boost, which allowed us to at least soften the blows in a small way.” According to Roland Tolls of Düsseldorf Wholesale Market, this was most evident in the demand for – hyped
16
AGF Primeur 4 • 2022
- avocados. “But the fact that I am now selling avocados by the pallet, during in a pandemic in which I am generating just 20% of my original sales: I would not have dreamt of it.”
pany is confident about the future, according to Volkan Günes of Sun Früchte. “We have only seen about a 20% drop in sales, so the financial damage is limited. Many of our gastro customers - such as Italian and gourmet restaurants - have come through the crisis with relative ease. However, I no longer dare to make forecasts with reference to COVID, because you can’t predict the situation at all.”
DECEMBER 2021: “I WILL STILL RECEIVE THE MERCHANDISE NEEDED” “With the 2G regulation, at least isolated sales can still go on,” says Jörn Reimers NOVEMBER 2021: “RAPID INCREASE of Hamburg-based company ARUS. One IN DEMAND IN TIMES OF LABOUR market dropped from the scene due to the SHORTAGES” closure of the Christmas markets. HowevA drop in the out-of-the-home consump- er, Reimers’ customers primarily include tion also made itself felt in the market- food retailers and suppliers for the food ing of ready-to-cook fruit, vegetable, and service industry. “There will be drasticalpotato products. “We suffered severe sales ly less merchandise. But what I need for losses in the pre-cut produce sector as our business, I will still get.” well. Overall, we nevertheless see a rapid increase in demand in recent years, which DECEMBER 2021: “PAYMENT PROCESS is clearly related to the labour shortages DRAGGED ON FOR MONTHS” within the catering, canteen, and commer- At the beginning of 2021, things were cial kitchen sectors,” says the team at Lud- not looking particularly rosy for Früchte wig Schenk & Co, a specialized processing Franz at the Berlin wholesale market. “We company at the Karlsruhe wholesale mar- should have received COVID subsidies, ket. but the disbursement process dragged on for months, which is why we were afraid DECEMBER 2021: “MANY CUSTOMERS that we would have to close our business. FROM WITHIN THE GASTRONOMY If the subsidies had come even later, we SECTOR HAVE SURVIVED THE CRISIS would no longer have been able to support WITH RELATIVE EASE” our operations,” says Managing Director At Freiburg’s wholesale market, the com- Thomas Franz. In July/August and Octo-
