Lukas Nossol is the Head of Communication for Dennree and BioMarkt Verbund (BioMarkt association), the leading Central European familyowned organic business. Dennree celebrated in 2024 its 50th anniversary. “The anniversary gave us the opportunity to look back on our humble beginnings and be proud of what we have achieved so far. 2024 was full of activities with employees, partners and customers. All together, we are very proud of what we have achieved so far”, shares Mr. Nossol.
When does a product become a Dennree product?
As a specialist organic food retailer in the BioMarkt Verbund, we attach great importance to organic quality and variety in our product range. Both are once again reflected in our own brands dennree, Gustoni and Königshofer, which are of great importance to us. With our own quality organic lines we are now broadly positioned across categories: Königshofer offers a large selection of meat and sausage products as well as eggs, Gustoni offers Mediterranean food of the highest quality and dennree products enable our customers to buy organic for their daily needs thanks to their excellent price-performance ratio.
All of our products reach at least the EU Organic Standard and around a third of our own-brand products are certified by organic farming organisations, including Bioland, Naturland, demeter, Biokreis and Bio Austria. Bioland and Naturland account for the largest share. Our total of around 1,000 private label products are very popular with our customers -not least because they cover a wide range of preferences thanks to the breadth and depth of our range.
How do you offer advice and service to retailers and independents?
At BioMarkt Verbund, we are around 530 independent BioMarkt stores and Denns BioMarkt stores in Germany and Austria. We want to develop the organic movement for the future and see the diversity of independent shop owners as crucial part of the sector. Thus, we have developed several services and tools specialised for the administration of organic stores. Operating several hundred stores on our own, we are retail specialists and openly provide knowhow to our partners.
How has BioMarkt developed and what are its growth prospects?
We are very satisfied with the development of the BioMarkt network. We are the home base for organic specialists in the whole value chain. As leader in the organic sector, we still put all efforts towards 100% organic as the only way to go. At the same time, we see a steady increase in our customer base and their loyalty and trust levels towards organic.
«We want to develop the organic movement for the future and see the diversity of independent shop owners as crucial part of the sector»
Transparency is key.
Together with our partners in the BioMarkt network, we develop weekly offers and marketing campaigns in a democratic manner. Together, our long-standing partners and we share common values and the drive to make a diet with organic food possible for everyone. Transparency is also important in our relationship with our customers. The customer should be able to recognise ingredients, origin and reliable labels. With our editorially produced magazines Kreo and Kreomi (for children), we offer our customers added value and important background knowledge.
How does Dennree contribute to a fair value chain?
First of all, our products are produced completely organically, which has a great impact at the regions of origin. Farmers and nature’s health increases without conventional inputs. To implement the EU Supply Chain Act, we have invited all suppliers to share data with us via an electronic database. We also have fixed contractual agreements with our own-brand suppliers in particular, regarding quality and social standards. In the end the biggest challenge for us is to communicate the added values of products to customers, achieving an understanding of higher prices.
«Climate change is still one of most challenging tasks we have to face. Together with a volatile market and politics – it will be a challenge to secure raw materials in quality and quantity»
What strategies are most effective in encouraging consumers to purchase organic products?
As organic speciality stores, we want to inspire our local customers about the diversity of organic and the organic concept. As equals, we share the common conviction of treating nature and what surrounds us with care. Our clear values are our drivers. Our value driven efforts are perceived on a rational basis as well as on an emotional basis.
Which are the biggest opportunities and challenges for 2025?
Climate change is still one of most challenging tasks we have to face. Together with a volatile market and politics – it will be a challenge to secure raw materials in quality and quantity.
Author: Oriol Urrutia, Bio Eco Actual Co-Editor
Published in the BIOFACH 2025 Bio Eco Actual Special Edition.
Subscribe to Bio Eco Actual Newsletter and be up to date with the latest news from the Organic Sector
Bio Eco Actual, International Organic Newspaper
Read the BIOFACH 2025 Bio Eco Actual Special Edition
