SAINSBURY’S SA RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Sainsbury’s named ‘South African Stone Fruit Retailer of the Year’

Sainsbury’s were presented with the Stone Fruit Retailer of the Year award after a strong 2018/19 season and continued support for the South African category. South African growers’ association Hortgro presents the prize to one retailer annually for exceptional results and collaboration during the campaign to promote southern hemisphere stone fruit.

Jacques du Preez, General Manager Trade & Markets at Hortgro said: “Sainsbury’s have consistently supported the campaign and achieved growth, regardless of a difficult season due to the drought in South Africa. We are delighted to present Sainsbury’s with the award this year.”

The retailer promoted South African stone fruit on sainsburys.co.uk and sainsburysmagazine.co.uk  through recipe videos, MPU’s and banners and included full-page advertorials in their consumer magazine.

Stone Fruit Buyer for Sainsbury’s, Jessica Graham said: “The stone fruit team and I are thrilled to receive this award.”

• The Beautiful Country, Beautiful Fruit campaign was launched in 2009 with a pilot campaign on plums. It was rolled out to peaches, nectarines, apples, and pears the following year and has run since then in UK retailers, the media and on social media.
• The season begins with stone fruit from November through to May and top fruit from April through to October.
• HORTGRO also runs a market development campaign in Germany, a number of other markets and a domestic promotion in South Africa.
• Expected total stone fruit export volumes for the 2019/20 season: an increase of 17% on nectarines; 6% on peaches and 15% on plums. More detail is available if required.

Pictured left to right front: Jacques du Preez, Hortgro General Manager Trade & Markets; Jessica Graham, Sainsbury’s Stone Fruit Buyer; Anabel Penela, Sainsbury’s Stone Fruit Technical Manager;  and Katarina Jasicova, Supply Chain Analyst – Stone Fruit and Avocados. At the back: André Smit, Hortgro Stone Chairman, and Daniël Theron, Hortgro Stone Vice Chairman.