May 16 2007, 13:30

How to sell mushrooms to supermarket?

A large supermarket daily sells its consumers hundreds kilos of mushrooms (mostly champignon and oyster mushroom). The chain of supermarkets in one of large Ukrainian cities is able to guarantee the sales to a large mushroom enterprise. The trends of the retail mushroom trade are similar to the trends of vegetable and fruit retail trade; they are characterized by a gradual transition from city markets (bazars) into more civilized forms of trade, such as supermarkets and shops. In this regard the mushroom growers have to deal with the supermarket managers and provide the required characteristics of the supplied shipments, which include the mushroom quality and supply terms.

At the same time, the producer gets a number of advantages if selling the produce to supermarkets. The main advantage is connected to a less dependence of the supermarket prices for the purchased produce on the volumes of mushroom supplies on market. So that the periods of the price decrease on markets are less harmful. The other advantage is a relative simplicity of planning of the supplied volumes and, consequently, the production volumes. Also, the producer bears fewer expenses to ensure the produce sales.

During the second international conference "Mushroom industry 2007" in the National Complex "Expocenter of Ukraine" the participants will have a chance to listen to the report and to ask questions to the representative of "Silpo" supermarket chain, the largest chain in Ukraine. The chain is a part of "Fozzy" company group. Maxim Didenko, the Manager of "Fruit and Vegetable" area will make a presentation "The supermarket requirements to mushroom supplies": he will analyze general requirements set by the supermarkets to mushroom suppliers, and also cover the questions of the mushroom sales dynamics in the supermarkets. You can register for participation in the conference here.