Fifteen years ago wholesaler Rodiers wanted their citrus to stand out, so they created their own brand, Senorita, "We wanted to offer something special, and decided to market the highest quality Spanish citrus under our own brand," says Domien Rodiers. "Demand is increasing yearly. In the beginning we only had a few pallets, but now we have several trucks full of Senorita."
Senorita
Designing the box, coming up with the name and creating the logo took about a year, "Senorita is a real Spanish name. There is a flamenco dancer on the logo, so the name and the logo match up. We were and are happy with the result. It took a lot of hard work to make it a well known, and sought after brand. It is certainly well known in Limburg, The Netherlands, so we are happy with the result."
The citrus package consists of tangerines, Clementines and oranges, and comes from various suppliers, "We focus on the highest quality and taste, and impose strict requirements on our own brand. We have made a decision to not sell citrus at the beginning or the end of the season. It is important that everything is right."
Willing to pay
Senorita's volume is continuing to increase and Domien hopes that this will remain in the future, "The tangerines, in particular, are popular with our customers. If you continually offer consumers high quality, they will trust you and continue buying from you. In terms of price we are at an average level. According to our customers, the price matches the quality. You have to make sure that the price does not become too high. Tangerine prices have almost doubled over the last ten years. Yet, consumers are still willing to pay for quality."
Fresh produce wholesaler Rodiers and Zonen, from Herk-de-stad, Belgium, has been a family company from the start. Domien Rodiers leads the business with his two cousins Dominique and Luc. Rodiers get it's goods from various suppliers, both in Belgium and the Netherlands.
