As the lease of the old location at the Varresbeck wholesale market was not renewed at the end of 2020, Wuppertal wholesale company Fresh & Cash Ltd moved to the Vohwinkel district. It acquired a modern hall (total capacity: just under 2,000 m2), which was equipped to today's standards. Since then, business has been booming like never before. This came about because in the course of this expansion, it was also possible to expand the customer base as well as the range of products, said Managing Director Cevdet Cavusoglu during our visit to the company.
Of course, the company, which was founded in 2017, is also being confronted by today's price increases. According to Cavusoglu, transport in particular has become extremely expensive in recent months. "We mainly supply weekly market traders and retail stores in a radius of about 60 km, which we mainly supply with remaining stocks, at affordable prices. Fruit makes up about 70 percent of our product range, as it is considerably more difficult to offer Class II vegetables at attractive prices. Nevertheless, we have been able to gradually expand our vegetable range since the move."
Cevdet Cavusoglu is at the helm of Fresh & Cash, together with his business partner Ayber Cebba. The company was formed in 2017 from existing retail operations.
Citrus and chestnuts are replacing grapes
As a drop-in center for many ethnic buyers in the Rhine-Ruhr area, seasonal fruits from Turkey are an integral part of the product range, Cavusoglu continues. "Turkish Sultana grapes are still being traded briskly, but the season is gradually coming to an end. The same applies to Italian batches, which are generally traded at somewhat lower prices. Despite the noticeable decline in purchasing power, so far, we have been able to sell Turkish grapes very well. The same goes for Turkish black figs, which had a successful season as well."
Meanwhile, he is currently sourcing citrus from the southern hemisphere. South African Nadorcott clementines, among others, are currently dominating the scene. "At the start of October, we are already expecting the first Nadorcotts from Turkey, which have visibly gained in importance in recent years due to their great quality. The same applies to Turkish satsumas, which arrive onto the market somewhat later and are usually available until January. It is in this product segment that Turkey has been able to assert itself as a market leader."
View of the offices
Rounding out the Turkish fruit palette are exotics, such as red-fleshed pitahayas, which have recently hit the market. Cavusoglu: "We had these Turkish tropical fruits in our range this year and the customer has taken to them very well. It is also fun for us retailers to be able to offer something new to the customer. The product also has its raison d'être: Vietnam mainly produces white pitahayas, while Turkey is mainly dedicated to producing red pitahayas. The only thing that could be optimized a bit in my view would be the packaging. Robust, transportable packaging has been lacking so far, unfortunately."
Daily fresh produce for regional customers in the Rhine-Ruhr area
Delivery is becoming more important
As a young company with a growing customer base, Fresh & Cash Ltd considers itself well equipped for the coming years, Cavosoglu said. "The ratios between pickup customers and delivery are about 50-50, while at the old location, pickup customers accounted for about 80 percent of our activities. This trend is expected to continue in the coming years, which is why we are in a good position with our warehouse capacity. What will also be decisive, is what will happen with the nearby wholesale market in Düsseldorf."
For more information:
Cevdet Cavusoglu
Fresh & Cash GmbH
Vohwinkler Str. 119b
42329 Wuppertal
+49 174 3929313
info@freshandcash.de
https://www.facebook.com/cavber/
http://freshandcash.de/#welcome