Page 80 - AMEFT Journal 2021-2

MARKET & NEWS
The French Kissabel conquers European markets
Crisp and crunchy, the red and pink apples from the French brand Kis- sabel, was developed by IFORED, a consortium of 14 different partners around the world who work together to breed, develop, and market new apple varieties. Based on science and marketing and with an eye toward vi- sual uniqueness and unusual colors, Kissabel is conquering the European market with its red and pink apple varieties. Some of the continent’s lea- ding suppliers report strong commer- cial interest and predict bright future for the brand offering a great chance to boost their sales.
Despite the obvious challenges as- sociated with the Covid-19 pandemic, which have limited opportunities to market directly to consumers, Kissa- bel looks well placed to capture a gre- ater share of the apple market.
In the United Kingdom for examp- le, it already offers a real point of dif- ference in a market that is worth £1 billion. “I firmly believe that Kissabel is one of the most exciting varietal developments. Technical and Perfor- mance Development Officer at World- wide Fruit,” comments Jeremy Linsell, one of first UK growers to plant two
80 AMEFT 2 2021
yellow-skinned Kissabel varieties. Commercial Director Hannah McIl- fatrick says “Worldwide Fruit is ex- tremely excited about the product’s arrival. Kissabel brings something truly unique to the category, with its distinct red-pink flesh color and deli-
ciously fresh crisp taste.”
Reaction to Kissabel apples from
commercial partners has been good. “The feedback has been good, and the customers like it. We have a positive feeling about the level of demand for next season,” says Anna Coxe, Head of Technical and Quality at Greenyard.
A special campaign last Halloween encouraged consumers to discover a ‘frightful surprise’ inside the fruit. This contributed to 119% annual sales growth, says Victoria Cliff, Marketing Manager at Worldwide Fruit. “More and more consumers want to try spe- cial and different products, with an emphasis on locally sourced, seaso- nal produce. Halloween continues to provide the perfect stage for Kissabel, which provides the perfect wow fac- tor,” he added.
Marketing has also made an impact in Germany. “The Halloween editi- on was perceived especially well,”
recalls Wolfgang Kreiser, Director of Red Apple Germany. He said, “The red-fleshed apples attracted attenti- on from retailers as well as shoppers. We have planted more Kissabel Rou- ge trees, to meet demand better in future. Although Kissabel will remain a niche product for us, it has proven to be successful in its niche. We saw huge interest in and demand for Kis- sabel pre-season – even to the extent that we couldn’t meet all of our custo- mers’ requests.”
Kissabel has the support of compa- nies in Italy, where strong demand re- flects the brand’s great promise. “We don’t see any problem with having larger volumes available in future, be- cause its uniqueness makes it unrival- led,” explains Andrea Fedrizzi, Marke- ting and Communications Manager at Italian group Melinda.
Together, Melinda and South Ty- rolean companies VIP and VOG have planted around 17 hectors in Italy with Kissabel Rouge apples. They expect to sell a combined volume of 300 tons this year, doubling that in 2022 before reaching 900 tons in 2023. Meanwhile, Piedmont-ba- sed supplier Rivoira will also begin
(Source: Kissabel)
www.ameft.com