sirop d'erable
The market audit process evaluates the product and its potential in the chosen target market.
The Product
Maple syrup is an all-natural, organic sweetener. The syrup in North America is poured over pancakes, waffles and other breakfast items. There are also uses in baking for maple syrup. It is at its most versatile in Quebec, where there is an entire cuisine based on using maple syrup as an ingredient in everything, but such uses are not common (Bain, 2012). Maple syrup in France has an advantage as a versatile sweetener with different character than either sugar or honey, the only real competitors in European supermarkets.
Maple syrup lacks the versatility of either sugar or honey, but it is an organic, all-natural product with a complex and refined character. It is entirely suited, in that respect, to the French palate. The French view maple syrup both in its flavor context and its organic context, and both have cachet in the French market. That said, France remains a largely untapped market for maple syrup, being only the fifth-largest market for Canadian exports, and lagging behind the UK and Germany (AGR, 2013). This despite France having imported maple syrup since the Nouvelle-France days. Consumers are familiar enough with the idea of maple sugar to give the product a try, and given how much information about cooking with maple syrup that is available in French, that removes a barrier to trying unique uses for the product. Price, however, is a typical barrier, as the process of making maple syrup is slow and expensive.
The Market
France is a country in northern Europe, and is one of the largest European nations by both land area and population. The country has a well-developed transportation infrastructure. There are major ports both at Le Havre in France and at Rotterdam in the Netherlands, which is only a couple hundred miles from Paris. There are no trade barriers between these countries. With the world's 9th-largest railway network (7 of 8 countries with more are substantially larger by area) and the 8th-largest road network (behind only much larger countries), France has a modern, sophisticated transportation infrastructure (CIA World Factbook, 2014).
French consumers love sugar, but they use relatively little maple syrup. France ranks 6th in the world in total maple syrup consumption, but few countries consume maple syrup. The United States, which exports 1/10th of what Canada does, is not presenting exporting maple syrup to France (Holz-Clause, 2014). Maple syrup is typically found in high-end food shops, and is difficult to find in mainstream supermarkets in France. The French prefer richer types of maple syrup, typical of most consumers. There is no known market for Grade C, normally used only for cooking.
Maple syrup receives distribution in specialty stores. While the product is known, the price is high and it is considered to be a luxury as a result. The fact that it is always imported simply adds more cost to maple syrup. This can be seen as a challenge to understand the small store distribution channels, but it also opens the door for maple syrup to be sold through a large retailer, as that is a market unserved. Such a sale would also be direct -- say, to Carrefour -- rather than through distributors. Reaching small stores would likely entail importers and distributors, which adds costs and decreases distribution options outside of major urban centers.
Advertising and Media
Maple syrup is a niche product in France, and as such does not receive advertising. Indeed, maple syrup receiving little marketing in the domestic market, which is substantially larger. There is little brand recognition for maple syrup, which is gathered by small farmers and then sold either through cooperatives or through small buyer/marketers. There is, therefore, almost no brand loyalty in maple syrup, and most consumers are unlikely to have loyalty to point of origin. At best, consumers will have a grade preference. Because maple syrup is a premium product, there is very little in the way of promotion or discounting. First, there is evidence to suggest that premium products should not be discounted because that undermines their premium status. Consumers for maple syrup in France tend to be wealthy, and because they are buying a unique product for its health benefits or unique character, they have low price sensitivity, which means that any marketing should focus on attributes, not discounting for enticement (Sethuraman & Tellis, 1991).
Pricing Strategy
Maple syrup is expensive to make, and it must be shipped to Europe in liquid form. The maple trees are tapped for their sap in the spring, in a process that is entirely weather-dependent. The sap is then boiled down into syrup before packaging. Because maple syrup is fermentable, care must be...
Other things being equal, higher sap sugar content translates to lower costs of production and greater profits (World Book Encyclopedia 1992). Black and sugar maples start their growth later in the spring than red or silver maple. As maples begin their growth, chemical changes take place in the sap which makes it inappropriate for syrup production. The term "buddy sap" is often employed to late season sap which produces syrup
Sirop d'erable H. Terms of Sale The terms of sale tend to be negotiated when you have a sale, which in this case means when you have a wholesaler or business partner. There are a few different options with respect to this. Freight on Board affects the price, because FOB Seller means that the buyer will pay for the product to be delivered to the seller's location; FOB Buyer means that the
Other smells that give the shop character include the manure on farmers' boots, the odor of chain saw oil on loggers wearing flannel, wool, Carhart jeans, and dingy ball caps. The self-serve counter also offers up some tantalizing smells, such as hot dogs, pizza, hamburgers, and chili. All these smells combined remind me of the rodeo that comes through town. The aromas in the shop enhance the experience because
Cool nights and warm days are needed to make syrup and the earlier warmth reduces the length of spring and limits the snow pack that moderates the temperatures of the trees during the evening. Said one sugarmaker: "It used to be you never tapped before the first week of March. Now you have to be ready February 15" (Bazilchuk, 2000). But Quebec's displacement of Vermont may not last long,
It is practically as if she brings graphic design and philosophy together in her creations. Helfand's design of labels for the Winterhouse Maple Syrup company again relates to the simplicity that the designer involves in her works. Seeing her dogs on maple syrup bottles and knowing the feelings she wanted to associate with this label is certainly intriguing. Even with the fact that one would normally see little to no connection
CDN Honey Industry The Canadian honey industry is widely fragmented and largely undifferentiated. There are approximately 7000 beekeepers and 600,000 colonies in Canada, according to the Canadian Honey Council (2010). Canadian honey is widely exported, to over 30 countries. Annual production is around 28,000 tonnes of honey, of which 16,000 is exported, the export value being $37 million. In recent years, honey production has slipped, but the reputation of Canadian honey
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