Foodservice
Not less than a third of all food expenditure is spent on food service or ‘out of home’. Consumers are becoming increasingly attached to these directly consumable goods, which explains the positive evolution within this channel. Food service requires a separate channel approach, which Pietercil has mastered down to the last detail.
Pietercil supplies known wholesalers, who then take care of professional deliveries to end customers. These end customers range from the horeca sector (e.g. bars, restaurants and catering) to end customers in facilities (such as hospitals, care homes and schools) and speciality businesses (including butchers and deli stores). Wholesalers each have their own way of serving customers, e.g. with a physical cash & carry and/or online orders.
The consolidation and partnerships between various players in Belgium and the Netherlands demand a Benelux approach – a trend that is sure to continue in the coming years. Furthermore, food service has become increasingly professional and specialised in recent years. Finally, the boundaries between retail and food service are becoming more vague, as demonstrated by the presence of Foodmaker in Delhaize or La Place at Jumbo.
The Pietercil approach
Pietercil has a dedicated food service team with plenty of specific channel knowledge. We act as a lever throughout the chain for distribution and turnover, thus creating a win-win situation for all parties concerned. We do this by gathering brands and products into relevant clusters. A specific range and approach focused on the food professional is therefore a must.
To achieve this, we work closely with the biggest wholesalers in the Benelux, more specifically with their purchasing, sales and marketing departments and their culinary advisors. We think in terms of inspiration and solutions, and organise these activities with as much relevance as possible to the market.
Besides this, we maintain close contact with the end customer, in order to highlight our solutions at the end of the chain. This can be done in different ways and at different levels: from personal contact with key account managers and food promoters (e.g. at fairs or workshops) or contact via traditional or digital communication channels – whereby the latter is playing an increasingly important role. Finally, a team of independent chefs help with culinary support and recipe creation.
Players
- Benelux: Sligro Food Group (ISPC, Java), Bidfood, Makro / Metro, Hanos … and many others
- Belgium and Luxembourg: Top Food Group (Metro, Oresto, Resto-Frit), Solucious, La Provençale (Luxemburg), Fidegro, De Puydt, Franky Fresh Food, … and many others
- The Netherlands: Ster, Lekkerland, Horesca, De Kweker, VHC, … and many others
