Kilo-bucket of snack tomatoes: 50% more sales than expected

It was supposed to be a trial, just in summer. But the trial was expanded, and the Tommies buckets, filled with a kilo of snack tomatoes, have been on the shelves of a major Dutch supermarket chain for more than six months now. “The combination of high-quality tomatoes, the right packaging, and a market-oriented approach have made this innovation into a success.”

Jos van Mil, managing partner of Greenco: “We were called fools. A kilo of tomatoes in one bucket would be far too much, and wouldn’t sell. But we have proven the opposite. We have researched what the market wants, and we’re the first to be successful with a bucket filled with one kilo of Tommies snack tomatoes.” The kilo-bucket realises 50 per cent more sales than Greenco predicted. There isn’t any cannibalisation on other Tommies products on shelves either, because the sales of the 250 and 500-gramme packaging continue to show a rising line.

Recent flavour tests from the Senso Test and Taste researchers show that the red snack tomatoes of Tommies are the best-tasting snack tomatoes from Dutch soil. Greenco has paid much attention to the flavour and high quality of the tomatoes during the entire process. Not just within the growing process, but the packaging as well, because these should help keep quality high.

It turned out there wasn’t a good packaging to pack one kilo of snack tomatoes that met the high quality requirements of Greenco. Jos van Mil developed the perfect bucket with Snackco, supplier of custom-made plastic fresh produce packaging. “The patented bucket meets the right height and air circulation requirements, among other things. Because of this, the product is well-protected, and the firmness and shelf life of the tomatoes is guaranteed.”