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ePaper created 2012-06-20, 16:30:05 | version 1.23.6
Title 10 Issue One 2009 But here on the market, time seems to slow down. Perhaps because it’s a world of its own. Peo- ple know each other and are on first name terms. A name counts for as much as the spoken word. “We’re rough and ready but we’ve got our hearts in the right place”, says Hodorff. Stress doesn’t seem to affect him either. Although he’s been on his stand since 11 p.m., sorting the produce and putting it on show. The first customers arrive just after midnight and the last are still around at 9 in the morning. He sells, orders, makes arrangements, uses the phone and sends e-mails. At midday he closes the stand, clears everything away, balances the day’s takings and goes home at 3 p.m. His business runs 24/7. He has 38 employees on the job behind the scenes: in the office and in his three warehouses with 2,000 m² cold storage. He not only sells here on the mar- ket but also supplies supermarkets. Up to 16 trucks set off with their loads of fruit and vegetables every day, contributing to his annual turnover of more than €20 million. “That makes us one of the medi- um-sized businesses on the market”, says Hodorff. But signs of change can be felt. “In the early days, they had to keep shoppers back behind chains”, says Hodorff. Otherwise they’d have flooded onto the market even before it opened. Today less people crowd the aisles. Many send or- ders by fax or phone. Kurt Lauenroth prefers to do his buying on site. He comes at four in the morning to buy fresh pro- duce for his shop “LL Der Fruchtmarkt” [fruit mar- ket]. Particularly because of the great choice. He’s back in his shop by 7 a.m. “Doing the buying in person is part-and-parcel of the business”, he says and leans against his wooden cart. He’s carrying a list noted in a little book: pineapples, pears, grapes, mangos, herbs, cauliflower and other vegetables. Today he’s already been round ten stands. “I’ll get the berries from Heinrich, he’s always got the best”, says Lauenroth and pats Hodorff on the back. A few steps away, Jens Heimbach tests the porcini mushrooms to see if they are firm. He has a fruit and vegetable stand on two farmer’s markets. “You can always talk about the price”, says Heimbach. Bargaining is part of the business. Eventually he takes four baskets of porcini mushrooms. The range of produce on offer has increased in time, but many smaller businesses have given up. Compared to the 544 importers and wholesalers in 1962, today there are only 81, with the number of those selling their own wares decreasing from 661 to 72. “There are scarcely any original marketeers left”, says Hodorff. Often there’s no-one to take on the business if the family isn’t interested. And not everybody likes the long hours. Pricing pressure also makes business tough. “And even if a stranger has the courage to take on a stand, he won’t always be accepted by the customers”, says Hodorff. It’s a fairly exclusive community, with business exten- sively based on trust. But increasingly also on mass. To reap more cost benefits, three years ago the traders Reimer Hauschildt and Marc Beckmann joined forces with the Veiling producer group to form Godeland »I come to the market every day in person. You can get everything here. You can’t find this selection anywhere else.« Kurt Lauenroth, proprietor of the fruit and vegetable shop “LL Der Fruchtmarkt” Lively tradition Harsh competition Lists help to jog the memory when making large-scale purchases. Customers like to check the produce themselves. Photos:Gielen