Marlene® is more and more international. Debuts in Quatar, Thailand and the UAE

Qatar, Thailand and the UAE. Marlene® apples will now be available in three new countries, a major milestone for the key brand of the VOG Consortium, founded in 1995, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.   

The first container of apples with the famous blue sticker left by sea on 21 August, with the others to follow in early September. “We’re proud and delighted to have added three more countries to our list this year, the 25th anniversary of the birth of Marlene®,” VOG Consortium Marketing Manager Hannes Tauber explains.   

In its first 25 years, Marlene® has become widely known and popular in many countries, a favourite with retailers and final consumers alike. “The export markets are a priority focus for VOG, and it’s no coincidence that we export our 30 varieties to more than 65 countries right across the world,” Walter Pardatscher, CEO of the VOG Consortium, comments. “Last March we achieved a major milestone: the first Italian apples exported to Vietnam were our very own Pink Lady®. Now we are adding three more steps to the Marlene® brand’s progress. Our brand has reached over 25 countries in its 25-year lifetime: a result that fills us with pride and enthusiasm.”  

“This news is a source of great satisfaction for the entire Italian apple-growing industry, because it reflects our production system’s efficiency and its ability to open out new frontiers,” comments Alessandro Dalpiaz, Director of the Assomela growers’ association. “We’re proud to see a quality international brand like Marlene® bringing Italian excellence to these new markets.”  

The first three shipments, totalling 60,000 kg, or about 450,000 new-crop Marlene® Royal Gala apples, will reach their destinations after a 30-day sea voyage. “In Qatar, Thailand and the UAE alike, most of our apples will be sold through supermarket greengrocery departments: the feedback from our customers in the large-scale distribution market will be invaluable in this initial stage,” VOG Consortium Sales Manager Klaus Hölzl concludes. “However, a few pallets will also be sold through the three countries’ fruit and vegetable markets.”

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