TRADE AND MARKETING Potato sector keenly anticipates growth of Polish supermarkets T he agricultural developments in Poland are very much interwoven with the political and economical situation in that country. This is clear to everybody who does business here, companies from abroad, immigrants as well as Polish entrepreneurs. Life not only takes place in the big cities, but the rural areas are also important here. If you understand all this, you can do business without any problems in this big country. Take the retail trade, for example. The big hypermarkets that are currently running the show here in Poland are Carrefour, Tesco, Auchan and Kaufland. However, they are now losing ground to discount supermarkets such as the local Biedronka and Lidl. Biedronka in particular is growing fast. The chain already has 2,500 branches in this country and it is their ambition to grow to three thousand. The most important reason for its success is that its shops are not only in the big cities, but are also spread across the country. This offers Biedronka many advantages. Little segmenting If you want followers, you’ll have to run faster. This also applies to new sectors in growing economies. A classic example is the rise of supermarkets in Poland. If you, as a producer and a trader of potatoes, want to be able to supply to this fast, demanding market, you must be able to do more and better than the current suppliers. Because only those who run faster, can keep up with the supermarkets, also when the product is Ziemniaki (potatoes). This means that knowledge and support from Dutch trade and industry is most welcome and HZPC from Joure, for example, is working on this. Together with Commercial Director Herman Verveld and Sales Manager Engel Louwes, we went to explore this new Poland. Does this make the potato sector happy? Yes and no, as appears from the reactions of the relevant players in the branch. The development of the retails sector went very fast during the good years. The fact that Biedronka, together with the other discount shops and supermarkets, is doing so well has everything to do with the improving economy. If this growth curve continues in exactly the same way, in ten years’ time, 65 percent of the potato, vegetable and fruit sales in Poland will be run through the retail channels, expects HZPC director Verveld. Today, the sale of potatoes mostly still goes through local bazaars and markets. And there are big differences between the two. Far from the towns, the supply is smaller and of poorer quality than in the outskirts of big cities such as Wroclaw, for example The bazaars here have a range of fresh potatoes, vegetables and fruit on offer. The potatoes you see here look good, the only thing is, they are all the same. There’s hardly any difference between cooking types or varieties. You buy potatoes here, and that’s it. ‘We’re beginning to see different varieties in the supermarkets, though, and that’s being stimulated’, Verveld tells us during a visit to a Biedronka branch in Wroclaw. ‘Until last year, there was no differentiation of potatoes in the supermarkets at all. Tesco’s, which is also active here, has only recently started to bring in varieties. This is accompanied by supporting advertising on TV. In advertising spots with the popular chef Robert Makłowicz, Tesco shows the consumer the various characteristics of the potato.’ Importance of supermarket is growing ‘The sale of fresh potatoes in the supermarkets will increase Potato World 2014 • number 2 29 Pagina 34

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