2021 not only brings uncertainty but opportunities too!

At the start of the new year, Prominent looks ahead. What will be the trends for 2021? Which opportunities can the fruit and vegetable sector take advantage of? Despite the uncertainty that the COVID-19 crisis brings, there are successes to be achieved too. You just have to know what to look out for.

The COVID-19 crisis affects the conjuncture

The corona crisis keeps having an impact on the economy in 2021. Yet, there does not seem to be a serious cause for concern in the fruit and vegetable sector. This has everything to do with the relation between supply and demand. The demand for fruit and vegetable products remains unchanged. Consumers purchase the same amount of fruit and vegetables as before the pandemic. Maybe even more, in order to stay healthy.

‘But it will be difficult to retain this level,’ the German Lebensmittel Zeitung states. ‘Many consumers need to spend their money wisely and supermarkets need to present their market their quality and pricing profile convincingly. “The bill for the pandemic will be presented later,” says Markus Mosa, CEO of Edeka, Germany’s largest retailer.

Supermarkets keep profiting from the COVID-19 crisis

Now that restaurants, bars and other food services remain closed for longer periods of time, consumers increasingly turn to supermarkets and specialty shops. These offer a wider range of products to accommodate consumers. Think of exclusive products during holidays for example and even non-food items such as drugstore products. Supermarkets are turning into a one-stop shop where consumers can get all of their groceries in one go.

Delivery conditions even more important in 2021

To continue this successful strategy in 2021, retailers need to depend on optimal delivery. At the start of the COVID-19 crisis, consumers were seen hoarding which resulted in empty shelves and certain products being sold out for days. To avoid such situations, the availability of products and a stable supply are more important than ever. But not only the pandemic affects a successful supply. Recent Brexit measures or unexpected weather conditions – like sudden snowfall – require suppliers to take even better care of their business.

Online sales see a further explosive growth

Since physical shops are frequented less often during lockdowns, the number of online orders increases. While retailers in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands have been focusing on online sales for years already, their German colleagues have only just started to follow. Due to the significant shift towards online shopping, new parties without physical stores (like Picnic) see and explosive growth.

The growing demand for online options creates a digital catch up. Developments that would otherwise have taken months to complete, are now realised in a couple of months. Visiting online shops via browsers and various apps enables consumers to purchase all of their groceries online. The subsequent contactless delivery makes online shopping the ultimate corona-proof experience.

Growers United / Prominent spots new opportunities in 2021. Curious to know how you can achieve success? Do not hesitate to get in touch with Wim van den Berg of Growers United / Prominent: w.vandenberg@growersunited.nl of +31 (0)6 5756 4346.

Prominent is a brand of Growers United UA. This organisation is responsible for the sales, marketing and quality control of the product.