Start-ups in the areas of food, drinks and beverages have been springing up all over the place in recent years. The biggest challenges, especially for beverage start-ups, arise in the areas of placement and distribution to food retailers. Whether it’s minimum order quantities that are too high and often a deterrent for food retailers, a lack of transport networks and even too little storage space, the problems for start-ups are very diverse, time-consuming and cost-intensive.
Foodnewcomer solves exactly these fundamental problems and thus offers a useful interface for start-ups as well as the food retail sector. Foodnewcomer’s activities go far beyond those of a classic wholesaler. We are a passionate companion, contact and advisor for almost all challenges of start-ups and at the same time a connector between young manufacturers and the German food trade.
In doing so, Foodnewcomer draws on a strong network of start-up consultants, food technicians, logisticians and numerous contacts in the food and retail industry.
The problems of start-ups
Erich Thieme, founder and CEO of Foodnewcomer, have been active in the industry since 2013. I started out as a pure importer of the Swedish cider brand “Herrljunga Cider”, which I helped to build up in Germany until the end of 2015. Even then, I had to overcome the essential challenges of distribution and placement in retail. Today, however, the situation has become even worse. Although access to retail has been somewhat simplified with the help of platforms such as EDEKA’s Foodstarter or Metro Group’s NX Food, these platforms do not solve the fundamental problems, especially in the distribution of the numerous and competing start-ups.
Minimum order quantities that are too high for the start-up but often necessary deter many buyers from the various markets. Parcel and pallet shipping, especially in the beverage sector, is expensive and time-consuming to organise. The sales volumes per order are often too low and thus not lucrative enough for the manufacturer. Buyers have to order separately from each start-up. The resulting various goods receiving and logistics processes spread throughout the day are very time and personnel intensive for the individual stores. A bundled and reliable goods procurement incl. Delivery and invoicing from a central location was therefore the wish of many buyers with whom Foodnewcomer spoke.
This is where the idea was born to create Foodnewcomer, the first outsourced central warehouse for the German food trade, specialising in start-up products and international speciality brands that are not yet centrally listed with the large chains.
What problems can we solve and what added value is created for the retail trade?
Advantages for retailers
- a central supplier, logistician and invoicing agent
- Access to new, tested and retail-ready products and food innovations
- Optimised ordering process with own ordering platform and mobile EAN entry for repeat orders
- Minimum order quantity of 20 PU can be combined freely and from all product categories
- Orders per article from one PU => thereby risk minimisation for the sale of new products
- Reduction of stock => Foodnewcomer delivers quickly and reliably
- Support with placement set-ups
- Consideration of special product and delivery requests
- Procurement of goods from regional suppliers can also be made possible via the Foodnewcomer ordering platform
Advantages for start-ups
- Access to the most important and largest retail chains in Germany
- National partner with competencies in logistics, food retailing and brand building
- Professional and accepted goods procurement and distribution management for German retailers
- Sales of goods in larger quantities generate stable and faster turnover
- Support in the area of calculation, sales and brand building
- Sampling of products to almost all major retail chains with the help of the Foodnewcomer discovery box
- Cost and planning security through outsourced distribution processes
- Faster placement in food retailing supports brand building and growth
Our mission is to bring variety to the German food trade. Numerous products from creative start-ups are waiting to finally be discovered and loved by people. Whether vegan, sustainably produced or with an unusual recipe, our food has never been so diverse, healthy and unusual.
