Big promotional push for Nergi

Consumption of the Nergi® is now taking off in the Benelux region, Scandinavia, and the UK.

The berry has been on sale in Europe for 3 years and already enjoys great success in Germany, France and Italy.

This year it will be on the radar of even more consumers thanks to promotion including more than 500 events and in-store tastings, and advertising at points of sale as well as social media buzz, including on the Nergi website, a contest on Facebook, and partnerships with influential bloggers. All in all, in 2016, the Nergi trademark is dedicating 10% of its revenue to marketing.

The fruit will be available to store managers throughout its campaign, from the end of August until mid-November. There are now about 150 European Nergi growers who are growing the fruit across a total of 170 ha of orchards in Europe, mainly in France, Portugal, and Italy.

It is sold in practical, information-rich packaging which provides protection for this delicate fruit. The handling of these punnets, and the conditions in which they are kept, are important factors in ensuring the fruit’s quality and durability.

The suggested retail price in supermarkets is €2.50-€3.00 for a 125g punnet (excluding sales tax). Nergi is also sold to restaurants and in special distribution networks.

What makes Nergi special

Nergi does not need to be peeled, doesn’t stain, and has many nutritional benefits.

This tiny fruit is ideal for consumption as a snack and is carried by large retailers in their berry and snack product lines in order to cater to consumer demand for convenience foods. The fact Nergi is often located in refrigerated areas with berries – which, importantly, have seen enormous growth in the last 5 years – helps guarantee maximum freshness upon purchase.

Originally from Asia, the baby kiwi has existed in the wild for centuries. In 2005, French company Sofruileg discovered new varieties of baby kiwi in China and New Zealand. The result of natural crosses, they were longer-lasting than older varieties.

Sofruileg, which specialises in marketing development for innovative new varieties,  acquired the European production rights and created the Nergi trademark to aid in the commercial development of this new fruit in major European markets. Sofruileg has sub-contracted the sale of Nergi to four commercial operators: Primland in France, PortPrimland in Portugal, Ortofruit Italia in Italy and Fruitworld in the Netherlands.