The global pandemic did not generally affect European retail chains much. Sales of Baskin's wicker Smart Edge Baskets for fruit and vegetables continued steadily. This Dutch company has been supplying baskets to the retail and foodservice sector for over 100 years. When a plastic basket was developed, the fruit and vegetable sector also came into the picture. The company's plastic basket inserts offer a simple solution to give a store's fruit and vegetable aisle a facelift without compromising packaging functionality.
"Retailers want to invest in quality rather than quantity. The current crates are very functional, but they're not very attractive," says René Eekels. "Our inserts hide the crates. These inserts are very robust and are moisture, dirt, and handling-resistant. They're also on average 20% cheaper than a complete wicker basket while still achieving the same look."
"Plus, they can be custom-designed. We mainly sell the black smart edge baskets, but especially the organic stores want gray, rattan-looking inserts. That natural look fits perfectly with the organic products," René explains. Baskin has, thus far, managed to keep its raw materials supply at a good level. "Like everyone else, we're dealing with lower availability and higher transportation prices. But we can still deliver these baskets on schedule."
Baskin's client base consists mainly of German chain stores. "However, we have contacts from Spain to Dubai. In that sense, it would be great if Fruit Logistica goes ahead as planned in April. We haven't been able to visit our European customers over the past two years. My air miles haven't been of much use," laughs René. "Many contacts are keen to begin and often start with a small part of their assortment, for example, exotics. Later, they restyle their whole fruit and vegetable department," she concludes.
For more information:
René Eekels
Baskin
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.baskin.nl