Bonsai goes Food Service

Kyra Thiele is responsible for the Food Service Division

- Bonsai Research now also organises test markets and sales in gastronomy and wholesale. The new unit Bonsai Sales & Food Service was founded for this purpose. 

 - Sales professional Kyra Thiele comes from Lunch Vegaz - with international food service experience under her belt

Bonsai Research is expanding its test market and distribution concept: Bonsai offers start-up innovations and established companies distribution in the food service sector - in gastronomy, communal catering and wholesale. Up to now, Bonsai had concentrated primarily on food retailing in the area of distribution services. Kyra Thiele is responsible for the food service sector in the newly founded unit "Bonsai Sales & Food Service". The sales expert comes from Lunch Vegaz, where she most recently worked as a key account manager.

"With the new offer, we are transferring the data-supported sales, for which Bonsai stands, to another track, the food service," explains Bonsai CEO Jens Krüger. "For us, this is a logical further development that resulted from the demand for sales support, especially on the part of new, innovative food products."

Marketeers and sales managers know Bonsai as a provider of market research and test markets in the context of stationary trade. Here, new products from domestic and foreign manufacturers are listed daily in real supermarkets on a test basis. At the end of such a test, there is a solid calculation as to whether the national launch is worthwhile and/or which steps would be necessary to successfully launch a product on the market. In addition to the exciting and extensive repertoire of test opportunities, Bonsai has used its contacts in the trade over the past few years to gradually build up the sales expertise that has been in constant demand. Bonsai sees itself as a sparring partner for its customers - from the first idea to the listing in the trade.

"With Kyra Thiele, who most recently gained international experience as Key Account at Lunch Vegaz and before that as Sales Manager at DFS Dewender Food Service, we are planning to build up a comparable sales portfolio for the food service sector as we already have in the food retail sector," explains Stefan Feldmeier, Member of the Executive Board at Bonsai. "Data-driven distribution serves the growing needs of retail and food service." And Kyra Thiele adds: "The catering industry, including system catering, is constantly being inundated with new offers, which also meet with interest in principle." Because cafés, restaurants and even canteens always have to offer their customers something new. "Especially now, with the fading pandemic, new and fresh ideas are in demand," analyses the food service manager: "But there is a lot of uncertainty. What works, what doesn't?" The data-based distribution model of Bonsai provides the answers to these and other questions. 

"In addition to sales support, we offer data from various sources, such as test markets or test listings in the wholesale trade, as well as surveys among restaurateurs and consumers," explains Stefan Feldmeier: "All in all, we can help all market partners in the food service sector to bring the right products, supplemented by the right services, to the market.

With Kyra Thiele, Bonsai gains a sales expert who has worked both on the intermediary and customer side - most recently at a start-up as a key account manager. "Kyra Thiele knows the challenge and the necessity to convince with the help of data, especially as a start-up. With her experience - combined with Bonsai's expertise in the areas of research and analysis - we will quickly tap into this new field," says Stefan Feldmeier. 

The signing of Kyra Thiele is therefore also an opportunity for Bonsai to bundle all activities with a focus on sales support for both retail and food service in the new unit "Bonsai Sales". In addition to Kyra Thiele, who is responsible for the food service area, Alexandros Kiriakidis will continue to look after the stationary retail trade. The new unit will start with a total of five employees. 

"I am very much looking forward to Bonsai and the completely new offer for the industry in this form. And we can already start with three new customers - all exciting companies with innovative products," promises Kyra Thiele: "More information will follow in the next few days."

Contact:
Stefan Feldmeier
Executive Board Bonsai 

+49 4214602231
stefan.feldmeier@bonsai-research.com

About Bonsai Research
Bonsai was founded in 2004 as a specialist for test markets, shopper research, analytics and mystery research. With more than 15 years of experience in the national and European consumer goods and health care market, Bonsai has developed from a media test market into an experimental platform for marketing innovations with a focus on the retail sector (including food retailers, drugstores, DIY stores and pharmacies). Bonsai offers experimental market research close to the customer and accompanies innovations from idea and concept development to the launch of a product or service - and beyond.