Attention farmers, gardeners, chefs and retailers: Pommeron is coming

Operational excellence

Ron Mulders: "It is actually crazy that in a country like the Netherlands where labor is relatively expensive and there is a lot of pressure on space, we still mainly focus on operational excellence. Just look at how we are organized as a sector. We produce good, uniform bulk products We produce good, uniform bulk products but for the consumer farmers and market gardeners are completely unknown unknown, merely 'anonymous' suppliers of raw materials. Their customers think and act like traders: where can I buy even more cheaply, how can I reduce how can I reduce costs even more and thus maximize my margin? The The parties between the farmer and the consumer are large and powerful and determine to a large extent determine the prices. That makes you as a producer vulnerable and dependent."

Value Strategies by Tracy & Wiersema

Escape

Mulders therefore advocates an escape: an unleashing, in which there is a chain management, more focused on value creation for all players. players. "In recent years we have seen two developments: producers who for product leadership. They develop innovative, They develop innovative, distinctive products, such as Livar. And we see producers who go for customer intimacy. They create the optimal customer experience, in experience, in collaboration with their customers. Think of Rondeel, or Kipster. The The producer becomes visible to the consumer and it is that visibility and and the identity of the producer gives the product added value. Cooks and retailers can tell the consumer about the origin of the product and what makes it special. the product and what makes it special. The consumer gets fresh, tasty products from their own region, from a producer they are enthusiastic about. That is value for all parties involved."

Pommeron: playful convenience

Mulders does indeed point to an interesting development, but what role does What role does Pommeron play in this escape? "We focus on We focus on smaller retailers and the hospitality industry, parties that value regional appreciate regional products, but want as little hassle as possible. We create an online platform with which we enable chefs and retailers to buy order fresh products directly from farmers and market gardeners in their region. order. We set up the platform in such a way that this is very easy. We call this playful convenience. You order today, it will be delivered tomorrow. We ask farmers and market gardeners above all to prepare their orders orders correctly and on time. We then ensure that they are picked up and delivered. The system works if everyone The system works if everyone keeps to their agreements. Participants must be aware of this, You really have to take responsibility and keep to what has been agreed. At the same time, it gives you a lot of satisfaction. Because you have direct contact contact with the cook or shopkeeper, you gain more appreciation. Farmers who are already doing this all say that it makes them happy entrepreneurs, precisely because of the contact and the because of the contact and the relationship with the buyer. Logical actually, because we all want to know and experience what we work so hard for. work so hard for. And because you are further down the chain, you can ask higher prices. prices. Depending on the product that you offer, that can result in a higher net profit. a higher return."

The online platform Pommeron

Enthusiastic farmers and gardeners are welcome

Limburg farmers and market gardeners who are looking for an additional channel, are welcome to come forward. "We are looking for both producers and potential buyers. Our concern is to be able to offer a wide assortment offer from enough growers, think about 40 or so. We will start with vegetables, fruits, eggs and dairy. Meat is a bit more complex, so that comes later. The most important requirements for a producer are enthusiasm and a sense of responsibility: you have to take this seriously and be and be reliable with your deliveries. We are now putting the finishing touches finishing touches to the system, so we consider this year a pilot year. We are testing the platform thoroughly and are going to be constantly learning from everything we encounter. And the most important criterion here is: happy farmers and happy customers!"

Tile wisdom of Pommeron

Interested in participating in Pommeron?

Please contact Ron Mulders: ron.mulders@pommeron.com or call +31 (0) 6 53 41 09 75.