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Magic Star apples available in Colruyt, OKay and Spar Colruyt Group stores
15
January
2019
Originally planned for winter 2019, the Magic Star will now be launched nationally at Colruyt Lowest Prices, OKay and Spar Colruyt Group on 16 January, as a result of a particularly hot and sunny summer. Approximately 200 tonnes of the apples should fill the fruit aisles for around ten weeks. The Magic Star is the new variety of apples developed by Fresh Forward and exclusively produced for Colruyt Group by fruit growers Neven Fruit Waremme, Wolfcarius Fruit Markegem and Gebroeders Bangels Gingelom. By way of this initiative, the group wants to offer fruit that meets the expectations of customers in terms of flavour, colour and origin. But it’s also about lengthening the season for apples cultivated in Belgium and valuing local agricultural know-how.
Approved by customers
Sweet, aromatic and crisp, the Magic Star is the fruit of a creative, multi-level cooperation. "Together with the breeders and our loyal fruit growers, we have come together to offer our customers apples that are able to meet their expectations", says Jan Schockaert, Colruyt Group's Fruit Purchasing Manager. "In addition to flavour and texture, customers are looking for a locally grown, environmentally friendly product. These apples must therefore have very specific technical qualities." In the end, it was the customers themselves who chose these apples during taste tests, giving the green light for apple trees to be planted in the Neven, Wolfcarius and Bangels family orchards in autumn 2016. The first phase of marketing took place last year in OKay and OKay Compact stores, resulting in excellent feedback from the customers of the brands.
The Magic Star is available from 16 January in the fresh produce sections of Colruyt Lowest Prices and OKay stores, as well as in the fruit aisles of affiliated Spar stores. It will be possible to sample the apple at Colruyt on 1 and 2 February.
A second exclusive apple for 2021
A second apple, the Coryphée, has gone through the same process. Developed by ZOUK sprl, it is grown by the same fruit growers, always in exclusivity for the group. The first marketing phase should take place next year with limited stocks. "This time it is an early apple, which will allow us to start the season earlier. Thanks to the Coryphée and the Magic Star, we can extend the apple season in Belgium, limit imports and therefore our ecological footprint", said Jan Schockaert.
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About Colruyt Group
Colruyt Group operates in the food and non-food distribution sector in Belgium, France and Luxembourg, with more than 600 own stores and about 580 affiliated stores. In Belgium, this includes Colruyt, OKay, Bio-Planet, Cru, Dreamland, Dreambaby, Fiets! and the affiliated stores Spar and Spar Compact. In France, in addition to Colruyt stores, there are also affiliated Coccinelle, Coccimarket and Panier Sympa stores. The group is the majority shareholder of the chain that comprises ZEB, ZEB For Stars, The Fashion Store and PointCarré. Solucious delivers foodservice and retail products to professional customers in Belgium (hospitals, SMEs, the hospitality sector, etc.). The other activities comprise the sale of fuel in Belgium (DATS 24), print and document management solutions (Symeta and Joos Hybrid) and the production of green energy (Eoly). The group employs over 30.000 employees and recorded a EUR 9,5 billion revenue in 2019/20. Colruyt is listed on Euronext Brussels (COLR) under ISIN code BE0974256852.