Non Stop Fresh Magazine Q1 2018 UK

Customer Service
Humor is important to Marcus Teunissen.
“You can get a lot done with
a little bit of silliness.”
Would-be baker
Teunissen – De Verse Verleiding is a family business,
currently in its third generation. Marcus' grandfather sold
fruit and veg on the street. Marcus’ father took over his
sales route and in 1956 opened his own market stand
at the age of 13. It was a huge success and became the
family's main source of income, especially with the addition
of new markets. Originally, Marcus wanted to be a
baker rather than a greengrocer. After primary school, he
enrolled in bakery school and spent Saturdays working
in Pieter Nagelkerke's bakery. The work suited him, and
he kept at it for five years. Around the time he turned
18, Marcus found himself having doubts about the next
phase of his education. His parents suggested he join the
family business for a year, to give himself some breathing
room to think it all over. Pretty soon, he was so involved
with everything that his father began giving him more
and more responsibility. In the process, as he worked for
the company, Marcus slowly developed into an entrepreneur.
In 2010, Marcus took over the entire business from
his parents; before long, the enterprise had a distinctive
name: Teunissen – De Verse Verleiding.
Upfront style of doing business
As it has always done, Teunissen sells a lot of regional
products, but there is also a close partnership with
aartsenfruit. Marcus' father and grandfather did business
with aartsenfruit, too. They saw aartsenfruit's growth and
development first-hand. According to Marcus, aartsenfruit
is always innovative, which is one reason it serves as an
example. It offers a wide variety of products, and Marcus
has gradually expanded his order over the years. The
most important reason he does business with aartsenfruit,
however, is the high quality of the products. Marcus also
values aartsenfruit's own brands. In addition, the upfront
style of doing business appeals to him: action, not words.
It suits his particular personality well.
New role
In the meantime, the company has about 20 employees
(including Marcus' parents), and De Verse Verleiding does
business at 5 markets in the region. Marcus continues to
enjoy working at the market. He likes the contact with his
customers, and enjoys selling and setting up the mobile
stand in summertime when the first customers are eager
to do their shopping in the early summer morning. In the
future, however, he hopes to spend less time on selling
and more time on new developments and managing the
business.
New developments
In addition to taking his business to the market, Marcus
wants to be a delicious 'fresh temptation' (the English
translation of 'Verse Verleiding') in all sorts of different
areas. In 2010, he expanded to online sales. Although
it did not take off immediately, he set up a fully-fledged
webshop in 2015 aimed at consumers and catering
professionals. Online business began increasing from that
moment onward. Marcus is always working on new ideas
as well. For example, he is busy marketing Werkfruit, a
system in which businesses buy small crates of fruit for
their employees or clients each week. Considerable time
and energy is being put into the Teunbox, too. This is a
subscription service in which consumers receive a meal
box containing regional products and recipes at set times.
The service should be up and running by the end of this
year. There is even the possibility that Marcus Teunissen
will open a brick-and-mortar business at some point.
It would have room for shopping, takeaway and a
restaurant, and the focus would be on the experience.
He envisions the De Verse Verleiding shop as an
experimental garden: a place where consumers
can be inspired and where he can work out
and test ideas in practice.
Social media
To help realise his ambitions, the goodnatured
entrepreneur pays considerable
attention to social media, such as Facebook, Twitter,
LinkedIn and Instagram. Marcus sees it as an ideal way to
communicate with customers and potential customers.
He uses social media to share delicious recipes and great
offers, as well as funny photos and videos. Of course,
intensive involvement is key. That is the only way you can
use social media successfully.
Sharing online success
Thanks to its hard work, Teunissen – De Verse Verleiding
has a very strong presence in West-Brabant, and it will
continue to focus on this region. At the same time, expansion
is calling De Verse Verleiding. Today, the enterprise is
in excellent shape, and Marcus sees opportunities for sharing
the online business concept with other locally active
entrepreneurs in the fruit and vegetable sector throughout
the Netherlands. Marcus knows first-hand how much
development time it takes to make a webshop successful,
and there is no need for his fellow entrepreneurs to
re-invent the wheel. De Verse Verleiding will be a strong
national online concept that offers entrepreneurs extra
revenue opportunities. This concept can be used on the
basis of a percentage of the newly generated turnover.
Marcus is convinced of the opportunities because there is
a need everywhere for quality, a price-conscious assortment,
local products and entrepreneurs who gladly and
passionately go the extra mile.
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