Benefits of partnering with Jacobs Douwe Egberts Professional
Andy Dixon (pictured), sales director at Jacobs Douwe Egberts Professional, explains why the foodservice coffee expert is scaling up its investment in the wholesale trade.
What proportion of your business goes through the cash & carry/delivered wholesale trade?
The cash & carry and wholesale trade sectors form a significant proportion of our business and have been a key focus for us in 2016, and will continue to be in 2017.
We want to grow alongside our partners to provide an end-to-end solution into the market. Cash & carries and delivered wholesalers are important for us in doing this, so we are currently scaling up our investment and dedicated sales resource in this area.
Our customers are at the heart of our strategy for 2017. We know that in recent years, there has been a significant move towards online sales within the sector and we’ll continue to work closely with our partners to understand and meet their customers’ needs in an ever-changing market. We’ll look to drive mutual growth, led by insight and delivered through championing operational excellence, adding value through merchandising and promotions.
How are you looking to develop your business through the wholesale trade?
First, we will continue to provide our customers with a portfolio of brands and products to satisfy the broad range of customers who shop in their depots or on their online platforms. Our brands are well loved by consumers and customers alike, from caterers to the office staff drinking our brands at work. In 2017 we’ll make a significant investment to continue building the profile of these brands – from a £6 million advertising campaign for Kenco to the upcoming global relaunch of our trusted instant brand, Maxwell House.
In addition to investing in our own brands, we know that working with our customers is key to our growth. Consumers have never been more demanding of the quality of coffee they receive, resulting in a significant trend towards premiumisation. We will continue to support customers in facilitating trade up and we also want to help them sell more – we can do this by providing simple category management advice and driving awareness through effective merchandising, both instore and online.
What is your biggest source of frustration when you scour the foodservice hot beverages section of a cash & carry?
Similarly, what more can delivered wholesalers do to increase their sales of hot beverages to foodservice operators?
The first step is choosing the right partner. Foodservice wholesalers should not need to be a coffee expert. By partnering with JDE, customers can reap the benefits of working with the world’s leading pure-play coffee company. JDE Professional is 100% focused on foodservice and 100% focused on coffee – this gives us a point of difference.
Our experience has indicated that customers within the cash & carry/delivered wholesale trade sectors are looking to drive revenue and margin by selling more for a higher value, or by meeting quality expectations at the lowest possible price. We can support a breadth of categories and also price tiers, and we offer a range of brands to meet customers’ needs. In addition, our category expertise and training capabilities make us a valuable and trusted partner.
We are also aware of the economic issues impacting the industry. For example, a lot of caterers have been hit by the National Living Wage and inflation so it is important to identify where we can add value and help them drive sales.
Are there any cash & carries/delivered wholesalers you wish to highlight as being particularly progressive?
There are pockets of excellence across the sector. Whether it’s a national or regional player, if the cash & carry or wholesaler in question is able to move quickly and work collaboratively with their chosen partners, they can give great service. The best offer is a multi-layered, multi-faceted route to market.
Tel: Jacobs Douwe Egberts Professional (0845) 600 8255
