For the boss of Spreafico, one of Italy’s leading importer-exporters, its new brand partnership means plenty of fresh opportunity
In September, it was announced that Italian company Spreafico had been appointed to lead the commercial development of Del Monte-branded fresh produce in the Italian market.
As a result, the group became the exclusive marketing partner for all Del Monte products – apart from fresh-cut – across all distribution channels in central and northern Italy, as well as Sardinia.
According to its chief executive officer Raffaele Spreafico, the partnership made good business sense. “It was set up because we had complimentary requirements,” he tells Eurofruit for its Fresh Focus Italy special.
“At Spreafico, we have significant commercial capacity on the Italian distribution market. We also have our supply chains, and there was room within our tropicals category offer for a brand that consumers recognise and which would add value. That room was available.”
With signs of growing demand for tropical fruit in particular in Italy, the time was apparently right to start a new collaboration. “Del Monte wanted to review their presence in the country, and to develop a more effective market strategy than they had here in the past,” Spreafico notes. “With this in mind, we found a good, positive fit for both companies.”
As a result, the companies are expected to work more closely to increase the sale of Del Monte products via all distribution channels, and to promote greater product diversification.
For Spreafico itself, the opportunity to broaden its product range represents a major opportunity. “This certainly gives us a more complete offer through our distribution network, above all on the Italian market,” says Spreafico.
“It also gives us the chance to integrate such an important trademark into our other brands, which we have worked on for years in order to invest in top quality and premium produce – for example Zespri kiwifruit, Angys pears, Tango mandarins. So it makes our range complete, and that’s something we see as very positive.”
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