Last year, high energy prices meant there was little supply from those countries' greenhouses, so supermarkets had to switch to imports from Southern Europe. How are things looking this year? We approached ALDI and LIDL Netherlands for more insight into their supplies and strategies for the upcoming winter season.
ALDI Netherlands: "Will, just like always, import from Spain"
To what extent ALDI Netherlands makes use of lit cultivation is unclear. Spokesperson Tamara van der Sleen answered that question by saying, "To meet buyer demand, we make good agreements with our regular Dutch growers. To meet that standard fruit and vegetable range demand, as in previous years, we import from Spain. True seasonal produce such as persimmons and blood oranges will also be available in our stores in the winter." She further notes that "forgotten Dutch vegetables, like parsnips and celeriac, are becoming increasingly popular. Our fresh products enjoy more attention in our flyers, and we have interesting promotions. We use those to show customers that it's very advantageous to eat local, seasonal fruit and vegetable products in the winter, too.”
Lidl Netherlands: "Ample lit cultivation supply this year"
According to Lidl's media office, their assortment is seasonal. "We always offer as wide a range as possible and actively promote local, seasonal products. In the winter, it's things like pumpkins, parsnips, and various types of cabbages. Our starting point is that all our fruits and vegetables are Dutch, if available. If not, we resort to imports. There are also always products, such as avocados and bananas, that cannot be grown/harvested in the Netherlands," says their representative.
Lidl cannot escape people's desire to be able to buy certain products out of season, as well. "We happily meet that need. Again, we first try to source those fruits and vegetables locally. Cultivation optimization and storage techniques make that increasingly possible. Still, due to seasonality, we must import some products. This year, though, there's ample lit cultivation supply."