Fruit Today magazine talked to the company’s Financial and External Relations Manager, Esther Sánchez, on this topic and other current issues.
What are the company’s priorities, once the installations have become as efficient and operative as possible?
Following the important investments that were concluded in 2020, at present we have closed this chapter. Today, we are concentrating on restructuring our digital tools. We believe that companies’ commercial strategies involve detailed analyses of the data instead of just waiting for a client to appear. The data must be used to discover where the weaknesses and opportunities lie. This is our great challenge.
How would you assess the current year from the marketing point of view?
Owing to international problems, over the past few years we have been experiencing a feeling of permanent fear, and this leads us to continuous reviewing of costs, but the balance of this last year is positive. It is true that the volumes marketed have been smaller due to the increase in prices, but this has been a general constant. At Frutas E. Sánchez our classic products such as apples, kiwis and pears, along with imports, have worked very well for us.
In addition to being significant importers, you know about the production first hand
Yes, indeed. We have our own production in Aragon and this allows us to see the business from another angle. The most notable element from the last campaign was the rise in costs, in which fertilisers, composts and electricity bills all sky-rocketed. Fortunately, the costs have been progressively passed on, although this has taken place very slowly.
In products, what have the most outstanding new developments been?
At Mercabarna we have opened up a business line that we have already had up and running in Madrid for the past ten years. This is a dried fruit, dates, spices, sauces and juices business. It has been well-received, as occurred at Mercamadrid.
In another of the group’s companies, Kiwi World, we now have around 60 exotic fruit produce references, ranging from passion fruit, finger limes, Buddha’s hands, to mangos, lychees, etc.
And regarding the current trend where white brands are winning people over, how has ‘Qué rica’ behaved?
As occurred in the 2008 crisis, this is the trend that is in fashion at the moment, but specifically, we have not observed any change in our own brand. I think that this is owing to the very precise adjustment between quality and price. I can even affirm that we have gained followers in other categories, such as pineapples or avocados.
Some companies on the market are complaining about the important bureaucratic pressure that the sector is being subjected to in recent times. What is your opinion?
This is a very reasonable complaint. It is excessive from all points of view, but the most curious point is that we do not know its practical use. The red tape is increasing all the time and the labour expenses caused by this have to be passed on in our produce. The feasibility level of the companies is becoming more complicated every day.
