Landgard pulls some very positive conclusions after the opening of the first fresh market fruit & vegetables in Dresden on June 13. "During the past few weeks, we have been using our current operations to visually and structurally change, to modernize and bring the market forward. It's great that our customers accepted the changes so well," says Labinot Elshani, chief representative of the fruit and vegetables division of Landgard eG. At the end of the day, the Fruit & Vegetables Fresh Market team enjoyed significantly more customers and sales than on a normal sales day.
In addition to customers, producers, employees and other invited guests, the mayor of Dresden, Hilbert, also attended the opening as a guest of honor. "Fruit and vegetable cultivation traditionally has had a great importance as an economic factor in Dresden and Saxony, offering jobs to many people. Therefore, I am particularly pleased that fruit and vegetable products from the region play an important role here in the fruit and vegetable fresh market and are clearly recognizable as regional products," said Mayor Hilbert in his welcoming speech.
The market crier in action, with Dirk Hilbert (Lord Mayor of Dresden), (c) Lichtwerke design photography
Regionality in the foreground
Landgard focuses on the topic of regionality in the fruit & vegetable fresh market with a special presentation of products from Dresden and the surrounding area. In addition to many other products, watermelons and cherries were heavily focused on as 'product of the moment'.
The actual opening of the fresh market had already taken place at 1 o'clock at night, when the market had always opened its doors to the customers, as on weekdays. From that time onwards there was a special welcoming program, with which Landgard thanked the customers for their understanding during the renovation phase. The fact that it would not be a day like any other could not be missed. For the visitors of the wholesale market there were loud, but charming professional market criers on this reopening of the fresh market.
As a further special offer, the customers had the chance on the opening day of a discount promotion up to 100 percent discount on the purchase value.
Intensive renovation work
In the new fruit & vegetable fresh market, customers can expect a modern new market design, a revised customer guidance system in the market, new furniture, attractive thematic product presentations with highlight products and other special promotions as well as uniform product labeling and signage in the market and on the 3,100 m2 of the entire wholesale market area at the Spitzhausstraße in Dresden. The look and feel of the Cash & Carry Future Markets in Herongen and Neuss was the inspiration behind the design of the new fruit and vegetables fresh market. The focus here is on colorful illustrations on a black slate-optic surface, which as a basic element throughout the entire market.
A look into the brand new market / (c) Lichtwerke design photography
Integration of digital service modules
The new Fruit & Vegetables Fresh Market aims for an optimized shopping experience and a progressive and modern marketing of fruits and vegetables. This includes the introduction of a WhatsApp service for the customers of the market. "Regardless of whether seasonal special opening times, offers or special promotions of the fruit and vegetables fresh market - on all this, customers will be informed regularly via WhatsApp. We offer our customers a new and up-to-date information channel - fast, direct and uncomplicated," says Labinot Elshani. The registration for the new service takes place through www.landgard.de. The new WhatsApp service is an important part of Landgard's digitization strategy, which is gradually being rolled out in the Fruit & Vegetables Division as well.
Offer for business customers
The offer of the fresh market fruit & vegetables Dresden is aimed primarily at business customers who run their own grocery store or a market stall. The focus is on customers from the region. In addition, the fresh market is already working together with business customers from neighboring countries. As a new service at the Dresden location, many catering establishments and canteen kitchens in and around Dresden are also supplied, which order freshly every day in the market. Landgard wants to gain more customers in all of these areas with the modernized fresh produce market Fruit & Vegetables.
From the left.: Bernd Meinen (Managing Director Landgard Ost Fruits & Vegetables GmbH), Labinot Elshani (Plenipotentiary of the Landgard eG), Dirk Hilbert (Mayor of Dresden) and Thomas Bittel (Managing Director Landgard Obst & Gemüse Holding GmbH), (c) Lichtwerke design photography
The extensive assortment of the fruit & vegetable fresh market comprises almost 250 different products in the field of fruits, vegetables, herbs and selected additional products. The products come from regional, national and international cultivation. The opening times of the market are Monday to Friday from 1 to 10 o'clock and Saturday from 3 to 9 o'clock.
The fruit and vegetable fresh market in Dresden acts as a pilot market. In the coming months, the new ideas will be tested during ongoing operations, and reactions and further suggestions will be pursued in order to selectively develop the concept of the fresh market in dialogue with customers, producers and employees. "In the future, the two other fruit and vegetable markets of Landgard in Leipzig and Chemnitz will be rebuilt and modernized according to the Dresden example. Associated with this is a clear commitment to the location of Dresden, to Saxony and the eastern part of Germany as a whole. The Ost location is strategically important to Landgard, which is precisely why Landgard invests here; whether in Berbersdorf with the logistics center opened in 2017, or currently in Dresden," says Bernd Meinen, Managing Director of Landgard Ost Obst & Gemüse GmbH.
For more information: www.landgard.de