Since May of this year, the newly founded Fruchthandel-Chemnitz GmbH has been located at the former site of Macoo GmbH in Chemnitz. The company primarily operates as a cash and carry market, offering customers from the catering, weekly market, and specialist retail sectors a wide range of fruit and vegetables. However, goods are also delivered, as owner and managing director Thabet Alsaleh confirms on request.
© Fruchthandel-Chemnitz GmbH
Iceberg lettuce and radishes from nearby Knoblauchsland are purchased from partners at the Nuremberg wholesale market.
Vegetables and herbs account for around 70 percent of the product range. Fresh supplies from the Franconian Knoblauchsland region are sourced two to three times a week via the Nuremberg wholesale market. This service is particularly well-received. "For example, we have been able to win customers who would otherwise always have driven to the Leipzig wholesale market, including some from the Czech border region. We are also noticing that more and more German and Vietnamese wholesale and retail stores are being taken over by Arabs, who in turn want to offer a wider selection of vegetables. We aim to respond to this social trend accordingly," says the Syrian-born entrepreneur, who has over 20 years of experience in the German fruit and vegetable trade.
© Fruchthandel-Chemnitz GmbH
Herbs from German outdoor cultivation
Heat-related shortage of dill
Since the end of the holiday period in week 32, Alsaleh has been busy again. Nevertheless, the supply situation is still rather mixed. Alsaleh: "A sensitive product like dill is extremely difficult to obtain currently and is available only at exorbitantly high prices. In my opinion, we have now reached the pain threshold. Apart from that, many consumers here in Saxony have lettuce and vegetables from their own gardens in summer, which contributes to lower demand for certain items. Herbs such as mint, coriander, but also parsley (flat-leaf and curly) are in high demand. Unlike in other regions of Germany, many older consumers here in Saxony also explicitly ask for cucumbers to pickle themselves. We are now well stocked in this area with several regional producers."
© Fruchthandel-Chemnitz GmbHInsight into the fruit range: grapefruits of South African origin (left) and Italian table grapes.
Good demand for overseas citrus
The picture is also divided into the fruit sector, and the fruit wholesaler continues. "Due to the heat, an item such as watermelon is currently being marketed in extremely large quantities and at relatively low prices. The domestic strawberry season, on the other hand, was very difficult this year, and business with Italian grapes has also been rather sluggish so far. On the other hand, demand for summer citrus fruits from overseas is currently encouragingly high: lemons are in constant demand despite surprisingly high prices, and the same applies to South African Orri clementines."
© Fruchthandel-Chemnitz GmbH
Summer fruit arriving at the company's warehouse: Domestic strawberries and Greek watermelons.
Challenging supplier acquisition
All in all, Alsaleh looks back on a challenging but successful first quarter. "Since we started in the middle of the season, it was sometimes difficult to find good suppliers, especially for items that are already in short supply. What helped us from a marketing perspective is that Chemnitz has been named the European Capital of Culture for 2025. On the one hand, this has led to significantly more tourists visiting Chemnitz, and on the other hand, it has also boosted business in the catering sector. Retailers in Chemnitz city center are also benefiting from this. Overall, this development is very positive."
For more information:
Thabet Alsaleh
Fruchthandel - Chemnitz GmbH
Hermann-Pöge-Str. 15
D-09120 Chemnitz
Tel: +49 1525 7515761
[email protected]
https://www.instagram.com/fruchthandel_chemnitz_gmbh/