Mediterranean Offensive

The products of the Delikatessa brand are conspicuous throughout the entire area. Tins, bags and jars are not only displayed in the specially labelled delicatessen shelves, but also in special displays for fruit and vegetables, on gondola heads, on pallets in front of the service counters, as composite placements in the wine department and in the main customer area in front of the cash desks. The olives alone – there are 15 varieties from Spain, Italy and Greece – are placed in six different locations and attract attention.

The concentrated presence of the goods is also striking because they include products that are not usually placed so widely in Germany, such as white beans, sunflower seeds or stuffed vine leaves. “With Delikatessa we want to show our competence in the Mediterranean assortment, you can’t just offer the fast-moving items,” says Karaaslan. The fact that he presents the goods so prominently is intentional. “If you place too little, the brand is lost and there is no recognition value,” the businessman explains. He wants to make sure that Delikatessa is imprinted in the long-term memory of the customers. Another reason: “Mass sells mass. The turnover rate is simply higher with multiple placements.

The reason why Karaaslan is so committed to Mediterranean specialties is that he has built up the brand himself. “Delikatessa is my life’s work,” he says. His career in food retailing began in 2003 when, at the age of 24, he took over the food department at Heidelberg Kaufhof. Their name: “Delikatessa”. Five years later he had the name patented. Even then, his dream was to develop a brand for the retail trade.