Speciality Supermarkets: Oxymoron Or Opportunity?

The launch of greenandfresh.co.uk will follow the opening of the first Virtual Farmers’ Market (vfmuk.com), earlier this year.

The latter attracted between 800 and 900 customers within the first 12-day period, 130 of which went on to buy.

Its success indicates that shopping online is growing the speciality market, but does this expansion also risk endangering its fundamental premise: niche food sold personally by independents?

“No, it doesn’t,” says Emma Higgins, owner of Newlyns Farm Shop, Hampshire. “To threaten the place of delis they would have to be able replicate the experience of buying in a shop - which is impossible,” she explains.

“Theoretically the websites are a great idea - and they do work for some things - but the purchases are not fresh-fresh, no matter how quick the courier is. Customers will never be able to find the same indulgent experience they get from actually visiting a farm shop,” adds Ms Higgins. 

However, this is not to say that retailers don’t recognise the benefits of the service.

“We all know that online ordering has its merits, but I just don’t think independents are worried about what it means for their business. We all concentrate on personal attention and quality, fresh, food that customers can chose themselves. Good luck to these sites, there’s room for us both,” she adds.

Green and Fresh readily acknowledges the scope for both avenues.

“The wider the marketplace the better,” says Colin Higgins, managing director of Oboe Marketing Communications Ltd., the company that established the site.

“By working together we can provide greater access to niche markets. Pooling our marketing resources also means we can be more successful than by going it alone,” adds Mr Higgins.

The sites will make a particularly significant impact on smaller producers who cannot survive purely on local trade from rural delis and independents.

“It would be great if small producers could make a living just by selling to their locals, but the truth is that a lot of them can’t, which is where Green and Fresh comes in,” explains Mr Higgins.

“We will offer them an easy way into a national marketplace – something previously unattainable,” he adds.

By selling local produce direct to the consumer, it will be a one-stop-shop for those wanting fresh food from numerous different producers.

Fruit and vegetables, quality meat and cheeses and even micro-brewery tipples will be sold through the site.

The Green and Fresh team will be responsible for processing orders, arranging collection/delivery and paying producers for their orders electronically, twice a month. A nine percent commission from each sale (excluding delivery) will also be payable to greenandfresh.co.uk.

Registration costs a one-off payment of £175, which includes one product listing and contributes to PR, marketing and television advertising of the site.

Producers are then expected to pay £25 per product, per year, for as many products as they wish.

Companies are now being invited to register their goods before the site launches to consumers later on this summer.

To register as a supplier, visit www.greenandfresh.co.uk.

For further information on the Virtual Farmers Market, visit www.vfmuk.com