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Mohammad Nassar Al Refaee, CEO, Nassar Al Refaee Trading Company (NRTC) Image Credit: Supplied

Organic produce comes at a price. How does NRTC Fresh tackle the affordability factor when pricing its produce?

With monthly importation of 10,000 tons of fresh produce, NRTC group is considered one of the largest importers of fresh fruits and vegetables to the country. This gives us a large economy of scale and purchasing power with the farmers to negotiate better prices. In turn, we position all our produce at very affordable prices because we believe that every community should have access to healthy produce and experience the joy of living an affordable healthy lifestyle without breaking the bank.

In a Covid world, customers are more keen than ever to know the hygiene standards followed by their most trusted brands. In this regard could you elaborate on NRTC Fresh’s hygiene policies?

We have enhanced our hygiene practices and briefed all our staff about this situation and asked them to follow these steps:

- Wash hands as frequently as possible during the day and try to avoid handshakes

- Check for body temperature at the beginning of the shift

- Wear safety gloves and mask while at work

- All suppliers have been notified to follow the above hygiene precautions while delivering at our premises

- Delivery boxes are 100 per cent clean and food-grade certified

- All delivery vehicles are thoroughly washed and cleaned more frequently than before

With monthly importation of 10,000 tons of fresh produce, NRTC group is considered one of the largest importers of fresh fruits and vegetables to the country. This gives us a large economy of scale and purchasing power with the farmers to negotiate better prices. In turn, we position all our produce at very affordable prices because we believe that every community should have access to healthy produce and experience the joy of living an affordable healthy lifestyle without breaking the bank.

- Mohammad Nassar Al Refaee, CEO, NRTC Fresh

Online delivery models need to be quick, efficient and seamless to be successful. What is unique about NRTC Fresh that helps it retain and grow its customer base?

Our USP is our ability to provide fresh produce at all times; speedy deliveries; wide accessibility thanks to our website, www.nrtcfresh.com, as well as our app, NRTC Fresh App; ease of payment through various channels; wide range of produce in different sizes; free delivery when spending a minimum of Dh80 or above; and our hotline customer service –800NRTCF, as well as social media channels. Customers can also write in on customercare@nrtcfresh.com or whatsapp 050 9751445.

The online delivery sector is expected to grow exponentially according to market analysts. How is NRTC Fresh preparing to greet this growth, what are your expansion plans?

Our long term goal is to target the Saudi Arabian market with a copy-and-paste module. Fortunately, big hotel chains also operate in the Kingdom, so we have the advantage of being known in that market. We’ll start with B2B and then gradually expand our offering. After the Riyadh launch, we’ll move on to Jeddah. We’re also planning further GCC expansion to Oman, where we currently operate through a broker.