Demand for farm stores and direct marketers collapses
After a boom during the coronavirus pandemic, demand from direct marketers and farm stores in Saxony-Anhalt has fallen significantly again. Some farm owners have recently withdrawn from the market, reports Sandra Eichler from the Saxony-Anhalt Agricultural Marketing Association (AMG). There is a lot of movement in the market. "We notice that some are giving up, but we also notice that young people are always trying something new."
Demand was particularly high in the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, says Antonius de Vries, who runs a sheep's milk cheese dairy in Lindau (Anhalt-Bitterfeld district). People were unable to go on vacation and had money to spare. The farm stores were allowed to stay open during the pandemic, explains de Vries. "That was also a shopping experience." At the time, many direct marketers had hoped that people would appreciate the good quality and remain customers in the long term despite higher prices. "But then everyone was able to go on vacation again, then the Ukraine war came with the energy crisis and people had to keep more money together."
Gertrud Feuerborn is already familiar with the ups and downs of the market. She says she has been doing direct marketing with her farm in Cosa for almost 30 years. One big problem is sales. Many farm stores only have very limited opening hours because they can't manage with the staff. She has therefore set up a vending machine where customers can buy eggs, potatoes, jam, sausage and eggnog outside of the store's opening hours. "That's a blessing for us direct marketers."
According to AMG, there are also other trends that have become established among direct marketers in recent years. In addition to vending machines and sales in farm stores, this includes so-called "crowdfarming" via the internet. This involves people adopting fruit trees, animals or vines. The farmers then deliver apples, cheese or wine to the doorstep.
According to AMG estimates, there are around 600 direct marketers in Saxony-Anhalt.
The company's expansion into the food and drink sector, focusing on organic produce, could attract more direct marketers in the face of falling demand. Despite the challenges, innovative solutions like vending machines and crowdfarming are helping direct marketers like Gertrud Feuerborn maintain sales outside of regular store hours.
Source: www.dpa.com
