From soccer to assortment strategy

The point of sale is where the game is played, and it is there that the ideal lineup is built together with customers to win over fans—that is, consumers. Here, VOG—Home of Apples—feels right at home, working alongside its partners to jointly shape the future of the apple category.

This is the vision the Consortium brought to Fruit Attraction—the international fruit and vegetable trade show held in Madrid from October 6 to 8—marking a new phase in its communication and product management strategy. On the occasion of the Spanish event and the gathering organized at the Bernabéu, the Consortium has delved deeper into the scope of its soccer-inspired concept, further linking the narrative to the retail playing field.

In this way, the Consortium reinforces the communication strategy presented earlier this year to guide the dialogue with business partners, demonstrating its practical value and potential in the field. This approach continues to evolve today, drawing precisely on the market segments that emerged from the research* conducted in collaboration with YouGov in 2025: a detailed analysis designed to create a “profiling” of the consumer and reveal how each individual experiences a unique and personal relationship with the product. Consumers remain the center of attention—the true “fans” of the category—who must be engaged, won over, and satisfied with an offering tailored to their needs.

In fact, the study highlights five distinct profiles: promotion-conscious consumers, who buy apples primarily based on the availability of deals; tradition-minded consumers, who view the apple as a classic, simple food—essential to family life—and who prefer traditional apples and long-standing brands; consumers concerned with sustainability, who associate apples with a healthy and environmentally friendly lifestyle, choose local, seasonal products from responsible farming practices, and prefer apples from the organic range; quality-conscious consumers, who prioritize the taste experience and consistent quality, and buy apples with a strong brand identity forged over time; and, finally, trend-conscious consumers, who view apples primarily as a convenient snack between meals, are open to new ways of consumption and, as a result, seek innovative offerings capable of capturing attention, winning over new consumers, and opening up new consumption opportunities for the category.

It is precisely thanks to this in-depth knowledge of the market that VOG transforms data into tailored, tactical decisions for the retail sector. In addition to ensuring the right product assortment for each profile, the Consortium provides the retail sector with solid information and concrete insights on which to structure and optimize category management strategies, offering organized retail a genuine roadmap for action.

Furthermore, as the study also shows, the apple is one of the most versatile fruits: it accompanies various consumption occasions, from a snack to a dessert to share, as well as its use in cooking—in pies, salads, yogurts, juices, and smoothies. Well-known and familiar, it also knows how to surprise thanks to new varieties, colors, and flavor profiles; it is available year-round, easy to eat, and capable of bringing great visibility to the produce section. This richness finds its full expression at the point of sale through a broad and well-structured assortment, supported by effective presentation and communication capable of guiding consumers with diverse needs and interests.

Hannes Tauber, Head of Marketing at VOG:

“After presenting our strategy at Fruit Attraction, we put it into practice at an iconic venue like the Bernabéu Stadium. With this metaphor, we aim to offer our business partners an immediate framework for understanding how to navigate the market’s complexity. It works because it speaks everyone’s language: it transforms data on buyer profiles into practical decisions for the shelf, and allows each retailer to ‘train’ their team with us, creating their own ideal training program. When we manage to place the right apple in the right spot—guiding the consumer at the point of sale and highlighting each product’s unique character—we win the game alongside our customers. And it is precisely this shared vision that is the only true strategy for growing the category in the long term."

*Survey carried out by YouGov for VOG in October 2025 through online interviews with a sample of 16,000 adult respondents across 11 European markets