How to Sell the Unsellable: A Business Idea for Marketing Ugly Vegetables

Imagine how we select vegetables and fruits in a store or at a market. Given the choice, most shoppers sift through the produce, picking potatoes, tomatoes, apples, eggplants, and so on, based on their pleasing shapes. The less attractive produce remains unsold, often discounted, yet a sizable portion eventually ends up in landfills.

This trend has led many European producers of vegetables and fruits to implement stringent sorting processes before their products reach the shelves. Otherwise, retail sellers, uninterested in stagnation and spoilage, are reluctant to buy them. Consequently, fellow citizens perceive foreign-produced goods as "artificial," as they appear overly uniform and perfect.

Recently, an intriguing business idea emerged, encouraging customers of a French retail chain, Intermarché, to purchase vegetables they had previously deemed unattractive and unsellable.

Soups and Juices from "Ugly Vegetables"

First and foremost, this business idea serves as an excellent example of selling products that were once destined for the trash. While replicating this exact scheme may not yield the same success in our circumstances due to differing mentalities among fellow citizens, grasping the principle, scanning the environment, identifying a similar product type, and incorporating it into a business concept is entirely feasible.

Exploring the Business Idea in Depth

The French supermarket chain, Intermarché, decided to capitalize on discarded produce that could be purchased at a lower cost. To achieve this, they first needed to cultivate a positive image of "ugly vegetables" among potential buyers, a task at which they excelled brilliantly!

To kickstart successful sales, Intermarché's marketing team employed the following tactics:

• A new line of products, soups and juices called Les Fruits & Légumes Moches (translated from French as "ugly fruits and vegetables"), were introduced. The packaging featured photos of fruits and vegetables with distinctly irregular and unappealing shapes.
• Despite their unconventional appearance, the soups and juices were of exceptional quality, indistinguishable from similar products made from "beautiful produce."
• Advertising posters and packaging aimed to evoke emotions in customers, with messages like: "They may look ugly, but they're delicious inside."
• This approach resonated well with the European mindset, long accustomed to ideals of equality and tolerance. Many buyers felt a sense of guilt: "How could I deny this carrot the chance to become soup? It's blatant vegetable discrimination on my part." While not every customer thought this way, the marketing strategy proved effective.

Next to displays of these "ugly vegetables," priced 30% lower than their visually appealing counterparts, store staff explained to customers that the delicious soups and juices were made from similar unattractive produce. The results exceeded expectations - the company sold 1.2 tons of products within the first two days.

This is not the only instance where individuals have developed fascinating business ideas from items considered unnecessary, such as the case of brick production from waste. So, let your creativity shine, and you too can launch a business that garners as much admiration as selling "ugly vegetables."

If you found this approach to developing business ideas intriguing, feel free to share this article with your friends and acquaintances. Perhaps they will also contemplate starting their own unconventional business ventures.