The coordination and growth of the apple club varieties taking into account the overall view of each individual project is a function that the Asociación de Cooperativas Hortofrutícolas de Val Venosta (VIP) has developed placing their trust in a specific manager since October, 2022.
Just over a year later, the first positive results have been received from this new approach and management.
The task of managing the complete cycle of VIP Club apples, from the planning of the plants to their production or from the drafting of the sales targets to their launch on the market, has been entrusted to Fabio Zanesco, an executive already involved in the commercial sector.
Zanesco points out that “the most important factor is working as a group. In addition to the Club representatives, we need to coordinate with the Production Managers, the Sales Manager and the Marketing Manager, but also with the other production consortiums, which have changed over from being competitors to associates. Periodic conversations also need to be held with the clients because they help to understand the efficiency of the strategies applied.” Accordingly, Kevin Trafoier, one of Zanesco’s collaborators takes care of the technical production and contractual aspects.
The function is complex because the varieties managed by VIP –Ambrosia™, Kanzi®, envy™, CosmicCrisp®, Yello®, SweeTango™, Kissabel®, Bonita, Natyra®– are all in different phases of development; some are at a launch phase, others are in a growth phase, while others are already ripe and in the consolidation phase.
The growing importance of the Managed Varieties in VIP’s strategic positioning plan was emphasised by the General Manager, Martin Pinzger, who stated that “Throughout its history, VIP has pursued the development and growth of Club apples and this continues to be the direction to follow.” In 2014 these apples represented 1%; today they represent 15%; in 2025 they will reach 16% and the goal is for them to cover 30% in 2030.
“There are several reasons for Club apples to play such an important role in VIP’s variety assortment strategy,” the Product Manager underscores; “in the first place, they allow the variety range on offer to be extended, in order to meet different preferences. They are a source of competitive diversification and they allow for top quality produce to be supplied 12 months of the year. But, above all, they represent a modernisation of the range, which shows improved response to today’s consumers’ preferences. Today’s customer has highly evolved tastes, is more aware, more refined and, in any event, different to yesterday’s customer. The Club apples, in comparison with traditional apples, respond better to the new preferences.”
“We should never forget,” Zanesco indicated “that each consumer has a “part of their stomach” that cannot be underestimated regarding food products. If a person fills their stomach with another product, they won’t have enough space to eat apples. Boosting new, innovative apples, which are as attractive both due to their flavour and appearance, and to the way in which they are communicated and promoted means winning stomach share for the product itself.”
VIP Val Venosta’s goal is to get ahead of the market trends and its strategic commitment towards the club varieties is an excellent way of doing this.
