1. Kao udruga koja se, između ostalog, bavi promocijom veganstva, svjedoci smo naglog porasta broja vegana/ki i vegetarijanaca/ki. Primjećujete li povećanje potrebe za veganskim proizvodima na tržištu?
Veganstvo više nije trend. Zbog ”sjedilačkog” načina života sve više ljudi smanjuje mesne obroke i uvodi vegetarijanske ili veganske obroke. Biti vegan još nedavno bila je, rekao bih, gotovo svjetonazorska odluka, dok danas to predstavlja brigu za zdravlje. Vegani su vrlo aktivni kupci, informirani, zainteresirani i s njima je lako komunicirati. Da, rekao bih da s njima baš “komuniciramo”.
2. Za koje ste proizvode iz svoje ponude Vegie Spar primijetili da su najtraženiji među kupcima?
Iako su najprodavaniji namazi i napici, prodaja svih ostalih proizvoda iz linije Veggie linearno raste. Recimo, hrenovke i kobasice su novi proizvod i od prvoga dana odlično se prodaju.
3. U svojem asortimanu imate široku ponudu veganskih sladoleda. Jeste li uskoro planirali uvesti i veganski sir i proširiti asortiman?
Mi stalno širimo asortiman veganskih proizvoda. Prije tri i pol godine imali smo 19 artikala u liniji Veggie. Danas ih imamo već 60-ak, što znači da se linija stalno proširuje novim proizvodima. Osim linije Veggie, veganskih proizvoda imamo u novoj liniji Veggie by Neni. I, ako još ovome dodamo proizvode drugih proizvođača, možemo reći da imamo u ponudi stotinjak proizvoda.
4. Kakva su Vaša očekivanja od ovogodišnjeg ZeGeVege festivala?
ZeGeVege je svake godine sve zanimljiviji. Već smo treću godinu zaredom generalni sponzor i mislimo da nema bolje prilike da se zainteresirani Zagrepčani specifičnih i, rekao bih, istančanih prehrambenih navika izravno upoznaju s našim proizvodima. Nama je ZeGeVege prilika i da čujemo kupce što žele, što im nedostaje u asortimanu, što bi htjeli vidjeti i kupiti na našim policama.
5. Kada biste morali izabrati, koje biste proizvode iz Vaše ponude na ZeGeVege festivalu preporučili posjetiteljima da svakako isprobaju?.
Ja uvijek biram slatko i jako sam sretan što konačno imam gumene bombone. U ovo ljetno vrijeme posebno preporučam naše veganske proizvode poput sejtana na roštilju. I to sam kušao i veseli me da smo razbili predrasude da je roštilj samo za meso.
Međutim, ove godine pripremili smo i nešto sasvim novo. Radi se o novoj robnoj marki Veggie by Neni. Vlasnica branda Neni, Haye Molcho, podrijetlom je Izraelka, a zajedno sa svoja četiri sina u proizvodima robne marke Veggie by Neni donijela je okuse Orijenta. Sami mirisi i okusi njezinih proizvoda podsjećaju na egzotično putovanje.
Iskoristili smo ovogodišnji ZeGeVege da testiramo jednu robnu marku veganskih proizvoda, Veganz. Do sada nitko to nije radio na ovaj način, ali sigurni smo da je upravo ZeGeVege savršena prilika da vidimo koliko će se Veganz proizvodi svidjeti i na temelju toga ćemo odlučiti o suradnji.
Helmut Anton Frenzl, predsjednik uprave Spar Hrvatska
We are witnessing a great increase in the number of vegans and vegetarians. As an organization which, among other things, promotes veganism, do you think that there is a greater need for vegan products on the market?
Veganism is no longer a trend. Owing to the way of life that includes excess sitting, more and more people are cutting down on meat and instead introduce vegan or vegetarian meals. I would say that being a vegan was until recently almost a way of life, but today it means that you care about your health. Vegans are very active shoppers; informed, interested, and easy to communicate with. Yes, I would say exactly that, that we “communicate” with them.
What products from your Veggie Spar selection have you noticed are in biggest demand among shoppers?
Although spreads and drinks are the top sellers, the sale of all other products from the Veggie line have increased consistently. For example, frankfurters and sausages are new products, and they’ve been selling excellently from day one.
Among your products, you have a wide selection of vegan ice cream. Have you been planning on introducing vegan cheese and expanding your selection?
We are constantly working on expanding our assortment of vegan products. Three and a half years ago, we had 19 products in the Veggie line. Today we already have about 60, which means that the line is constantly expanding. Apart from the Veggie line, there are also vegan products in a new line called Veggie by Neni. Also, if we include products from other manufacturers, it’s safe to say that we have about a hundred products in our assortment.
What are your expectations from this year’s ZeGeVege festival?
ZeGeVege is getting more interesting with each passing year. For the third year in a row, we have been a general sponsor of the festival, and we believe that there is no better opportunity for interested citizens of Zagreb who have specific, and I would say, refined dietary habits, to acquaint themselves with our products directly. To us, ZeGeVege is an opportunity to hear what the shoppers want, what they think is missing from our assortment, what they want to see on our shelves and ultimately what they want to buy.
If you had to choose, which products from your ZeGeVege offer would you recommend to visitors?.
I always choose pastries, and I’m very happy I finally have gummies. In these days of summer, I especially recommend our vegan products such as grilled seitan. I tried that too, and I’m glad that we have broken down the prejudice that grill is for meat only.
However, this year we have also prepared something entirely new — the new brand Veggie by Neni. Together with her four sons, Haye Molcho (of Israeli origin) brought us the flavours of the Orient in her Neni products. Scents and flavours from her products put us in the mind of an exotic journey.
We used this year’s ZeGeVege to test another new brand of vegan products, called Veganz. Until now no one has done it this way, but we are certain that this festival is a perfect opportunity for us to see just how many people will like the Veganz products. Based on that, we’ll decide whether we’ll collaborate with them or not.
Helmut Anton Frenzl, the president of the management board of Spar Croatia