Veaceslav Usturoi, Freshful.ro: “Unlike traditional retail, online customers tend to prefer brands that offer artisanal products over mass-produced ones”

Amidst the culinary wonders in Romania, there is one that stands out with its exceptional flavor and deep-rooted tradition, especiall in autumn times – zacusca. To gain deeper insights into this culinary gem, Business Review had the privilege of asking several producers and retailers to engage in conversations with experienced artisans who have been crafting zacusca for years, including Veaceslav Usturoi, Sr. Business Unit Manager – Beverages, Tobacco, Grocery, Sweets, Diet, and Pet Shop at Freshful.

How many types of zacusca do you have in your portfolio? What is the best-selling product?

Currently, we have a portfolio of 61 products in the zacusca category, divided into five types of needs: mushroom zacusca, bean zacusca, spicy zacusca, simple zacusca and other types of zacusca. These include varieties such as zacusca with carp, Bulgarian zacusca, Macedonian zacusca, Romanian zacusca, red pepper zacusca, and spicy red pepper zacusca. Among all the zacusca varieties we offer, the best-selling one is eggplant zacusca, from the producer Răzvan Idicel.

We place a strong emphasis on products from local sources, which is why we are focused on collaborating with Romanian producers who can provide high-quality products that our customers are increasingly seeking and prefer to buy online.

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Do you believe there is an affinity for a particular brand of zacusca, or is it more about a specific type of zacusca?

The behavior of consumers who choose to shop on Freshful.ro shows that people are initially attracted to the variety of products and then to their brand. Our customers most frequently add classic eggplant zacusca to their shopping carts, but in recent times, we have also observed a growing trend in the consumption of mushroom zacusca.

Unlike traditional retail, online customers tend to prefer brands that offer artisanal products over mass-produced ones. Therefore, we have seen increased sales for products sold by brands known for their artisanal offerings, with the most sought-after being the Răzvan Idicel and Râureni brands, both of which have a reputation in this category. The increase in sales for this type of product has been both in terms of volume and value.

Read also: Zacusca: A culinary treasure of Romania

What is the biggest challenge when working with small artisanal producers?

In collaboration with small artisanal producers, we have noticed that one of the challenges we face relates to their production capacity. However, we understand that they do not produce in large quantities, which is why stocks can vary, and we are actively seeking solutions to ensure products for consumers.

Another aspect of working with small artisanal producers relates to supply and transportation issues. They typically work with high-quality products and raw materials, which can sometimes lead to difficulties in sourcing their goods. In situations where the supply is not continuous, delays in the distribution process may occur.

In the news has been reported a very good year for vegetable production. How is this reflected in the stocks of artisanal producers?

So far, we have not encountered any stock shortages from zacusca suppliers. We maintain close communication and address situations where stock availability may become an issue. As a result, we do not have information regarding difficulties in this regard from the producers.

Can you provide some figures regarding orders for zacusca – whether they are more commonly part of a common shopping cart or if they are exclusively ordered products?

Our customers prefer to order from the Freshful.ro platform because they find a wide variety of products here. On average, the shopping cart ordered by Freshful by eMAG customers contains 22 unique products and 35 items, with a weekly ordering frequency. People are replacing their physical store shopping with online orders, which they can quickly and easily do from home.

We have observed that the products in the shopping carts vary and come from multiple categories, so we do not exclusively see orders for zacusca. Freshful.ro is a 100% online hypermarket, and customers have a purchasing habit similar to traditional retail in the sense that people shop for the entire week. However, we have noticed that this year, more than 12,000 orders have included at least one jar of zacusca.