PW CONFERENCE Jan-Willem Grievink, Focusplaza: ‘Which role your product has in a formula, that’s what it is all about’ IN THE NETHERLANDS, WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH POWERFUL PARTIES IN THE CHAIN As an advisor for both the agricultural sector and the supermarket organisation, Jan-Willem Grievink knows as no other what he is talking about with the position of the potato on the supermarket shelf. ‘For the farmer the main point is: how do I get paid as much as possible per kilogram, but for the supermarket it means: how do I get as much as possible for the lowest possible price? Does clustering or a strong cooperative bloc help in such a situation?’ Grievink doubts that very much. In the dairy sector, Campina and Friesland Foods merged to form a powerful bloc, but this has not given the dairy farmer a single extra cent for his milk. Moreover, Grievink does not think that it is absolutely necessary to focus on the visual aspect of your product, as the Dorsvlegel men seem to think, but one does have to make choices. ‘You can be the cheapest, the tastiest, the most unique or you can offer extra value. Which role your product has in a formula, that’s what it is all about. Do you find your product on the Aldi or Lidl shelves, or is it a special offer on the Albert Heijn shelf? For that, you’ll need to consult with the customer.’ Grievink realises that this is not an easy task for the potato sector. ‘In the Netherlands, we have to deal with powerful parties in the chain. If we’re talking about supermarkets, there are only six buyers. And they look at: the price, the origin – preferably produce from nearby – and the quality.’ How do you win the preference of the buyers? ‘What can you do to find favour with those buyers?’ Grievink sums up six possibilities. ‘Make life easier for the consumer, provide ready-to-eat products, present partly-prepared products, add an nice recipe, give advice about the times you can use the product, make the packaging attractive and make the presentation on the shop shelf as pleasing as possible. Grievink totally agrees with Groeneveld and Van Leenen where the presentation is concerned. ‘You must be able to place yourself in the position of the buyer. Offer a product about which you are convinced that the supermarket buyer is going to say: Yes! I want that! This buyer knows his customers on the shop floor and so you will need to know them too. Who are they then’, wonders Grievink aloud. ‘Stressed parents who, after work, need to prepare a hot meal quickly for the family. Three million single-person households that want suitable single-person portions. Baby-boomers with a lot of leisure time, but who don’t want to cook seven days a week. And then there are the new Dutch, people from far countries who are used to eating at home a lot, and eat traditional meals from their countries of origin. We are now in the middle of an economic crisis and that’s exactly the time to take on challenges. Because, for the consumer, the potato is more important now than an iPod or an LCD television. Take advantage of all this’, Grievink strongly urges his Audience. ● Leo Hanse en Jaap Delleman Potato World 2010 • number 1 Pagina 14
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