FILTRE
'The consumer wishes to choose
from a wide assortment.
The new coffee line fits perfectly
with this trend.
,?ÜW3eS"1 MêN
(I to r) Tom Heidman (manager Coffee), Harry Bruijniks (product group manager),
Krijn Dorsman and Dick Onrust
fee we cover all market
segments. Moreover, with
the mild and decaffein
ated varieties we are also
serving the growing con
sumer taste for healthy
natural foods.
The relaunch was inspired
not only by these trends
but also by the national
decline in coffee consump
tion and the concomitant
decline in AH coffee sales.
Executive Vice President
Krijn Dorsman: 'Our cof
fee was not selling as well
as we would have liked.
Our market share was
under pressure. The new
coffee line turned this
around. Since the reintro-
duction sales are on the
increase again. Things
have been working out
even better than expect
ed. The development of
the new coffee line in
1989 is the best illustra
tion of the new course
Albert Heijn has taken
with its private labels.
Dorsman: 'We want to
take our private labels out
of the shadow of the pre
mium brands. The Albert
Heijn private labels need
to be given a stronger
character of their own.
Perla coffee is an out
standing example.
Coffee buyer Ceb IJskes
confirms this: 'I've been in
the coffee business for 40
years now, so I've seen a
few things, but this reintro-
duction was really some
thing. Perla really isn't
even a private label any
more, it has become a
brand name!'
For the food production
company Marvelo, the
development of the new
coffee line was the most
important project of the
past five years. Marvelo
Managing Director Jack
Voskamp: 'It has been a
gigantic operation and we
are proud of our achieve-
Jack Voskamp (I)
and Geb Uskes
Early in November Albert
Heijn launched a comple
tely new coffee line under
the Perla label in all its
stores.
The existing products have
been improved, new ones
have been added and the
entire product range has
been given a new look,
customized with computer-
aided design.
With the addition of new
coffee varieties: Arabica,
Extra Mild and flavored
products, Albert Heijn
zeroed in on an unmistak
able consumer trend: the
emphatic wish for free
dom of choice. 'The con
sumer wants to be able to
select from a wide assort
ment, says Vice President
Dick Onrust. 'The new cof
fee line fits perfectly with
this trend. With Perla cof-
ment. The cooperation
between Marvelo and
Albert Heijn has been
highly constructive. A fine
example of synergy mar
keting.
