Product knowledge helps us to build a better portfolio

Using a broad range of lettuces, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers, consumers can create numerous delicious and attractive dishes. A total of 15 commercial and quality team members at Central Retail Vietnam discovered this during a recent training session by Rijk Zwaan specialists. “The training helps us to build a better portfolio,” says Trung Thanh Le from the retailer. By sharing knowledge, the vegetable breeding company helps its partners to move ‘Freshly Forward, from Foundation to Future’ – which is also Rijk Zwaan’s theme at this year’s Asia Fruit Logistica.

An important role for fresh food

Central Retail Vietnam is on a mission to make customers’ lives easier. Every day, the company’s 15,000 empowered and passionate employees welcome 390,000 customers across the 340-plus store network. “Fresh food plays an important role in our business model. It meets the daily needs of our consumers and also serves as a traffic builder to drive trips to our stores. Vietnamese consumers can of course buy fresh food at the wet markets, but our customers come to us because of the wide range, best offers and food safety,” states Trung Thanh Le, Manager Fresh Food Value Chain at Central Retail Vietnam.

Sharing the same vision

Because of the significance of fresh food in its business strategy, Central Retail Vietnam was very enthusiastic about the customised training offered by Rijk Zwaan. “We have trust in the brand. Moreover, Rijk Zwaan and Central Retail Vietnam share the same vision on how we want to contribute to our customers and to society,” he explains.

Training helps retailer to move ‘freshly forward’

During two days in March, the staff members learnt about the trends and opportunities in lettuce, peppers (Capsicum), tomatoes and cucumbers from the Rijk Zwaan specialists Hong Tran, Natalie Ngoc Nguyen and Friso Klok. The training will help Central Retail Vietnam to move ‘freshly forward’, according to Trung Thanh Le: “Our buying team experienced the different types of lettuce and why each type is unique in its own right. This product knowledge helps us to build a better assortment and portfolio for our end consumers.”

Many delicious and beautiful dishes

Rijk Zwaan’s product usage expertise was also very welcome, according to the participants’ feedback. “I now have a better understanding of products, seeds and product specifications,” claimed one of them. “It’s interesting that we can make many delicious and beautiful dishes from just one product,” another participant commented. Trung Thanh Le is positive about this new knowledge: “It will help us to communicate better with consumers at store level and also to develop new market segments.”

Crystal Lettuce campaign

To achieve those goals, Trung Thanh Le is keen to continue collaborating with Rijk Zwaan in the ‘fresh future’. “We need to think of different ways to market our products and build better loyalty among our customers. One example has been the Crystal Lettuce marketing campaign we did together. These kinds of joint activities put us on the right track to realise new opportunities,” he concludes.