Diversifying for Growth on the Isle of Man

It's a family business, which has been going strong for over 125 years. All four Horsthuis brothers are currently involved. John,the oldest brother is the Managing Director, while Tony is the Retail Director and Michael is responsible for flowers and plants. The youngest brother, Peter looks after the company's accounts. The next generation is also now in place with Janna, John's daughter in charge of Wholesale Development for exotic meats.

The retail business.

The company has two retail outlets of its own, one in the island's capital, Douglas, the other in the nearby town of Onchan. It also services franchises in the Isle of Man's main supermarket chain, Shoprite, which has just taken over a former Morrisons outlet, bringing the total number of shops to nine. Of these nine, four are large stores, one is of medium size, while the other four are small.

The main challenge facing the company is to maintain the level of service and quality of produce the Manx people have come to expect, despite the geographical situation of the island. Freight rates are punishing and account for some 10 per cent of the total value of the produce sold..

However, having said that, the delivery operation itself is well established and runs very smoothly.

Robinsons have reached an agreement with a transport company in Skelmersdale in Lancashire and use their depot as a collection and loading point. Produce arrives on the island at 6.00pm on the Heysham to Douglas ferry, and it is a five minute drive from the port to the company's 55,000 sq.metre depot, built to EC specifications, where the container is unloaded by the evening team. By 6.00 the next morning the pickers are sorting out the orders for early morning delivery to the shops. Selected stores also receive a second delivery - of hard fruit and vegetables - mid afternoon.

The buying team operates from the island. They have built up a good relationship with the major fruit suppliers, including Capespan and with selected wholesalers such as Gildings, Blankstones and Alfred Price, all of whom are based in the Liverpool area. "We rarely have a problem buying like this," Tony told Capespan Express. "Our suppliers know the grades we require. If something does go wrong, we send the produce straight back."

Sadly, because of economies of scale, local production of vegetables on the island has been scaled down in recent years, so now the principal products sourced locally are maincrop potatoes. However Robinsons have established a useful contact - again in the Lancashire area - for produce grown on the Wirral and of course, Spanish, Italian, Dutch and Canary Island produce is delivered direct into the Skelmersdale depot.

Tony is a firm believer in following seasons to provide consumers with a quality eating experience. "We move into Cape apples as soon as they become available and we advertise that fact to customers on our prepacks,on our store fixtures and on local radio. Instore tastings are obviously a valuable tool for us in this respect."

He is sceptical about the new policy of certain supermarket groups to buy selected fruit and vegetables year-round from just one supplier,cutting out established sources, including entire countries. "This may mean a cheaper product for the consumer, but it takes away their right to choose a more flavoursome alternative. And I would also question whether the average shopper really has a firm idea on what basic items cost.