An exclusive interview with James Otte from La Tienda, a major US olive oil importer, for the WOOE

The World Olive Oil Exhibition will be held on the coming 29th and 30th of March at Madrid’s IFEMA

The World Olive Oil Exhibition will be held on the coming 29th and 30th of March at Madrid’s IFEMA

 

“We have imported Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil since 1996. Tienda currently imports and sells in North America 29 brands of high end gourmet olive Oil”.

“La Tienda supports Spain and her culture by offering the deepest selection of high quality traditional and iconic products, through e-commerce, catalog, retail and wholesale channels. Whenever possible we support family-owned companies that produce hand-made products using free-range and sustainable resources. Our goal is to treat our customers and employees like family, to educate our customers about the products, values and traditions of Spain, and to be the recognized leader in offering fine Spanish products in North America”.

Which are the main challenges facing the future development of the olive oil market in your country?

The US olive oil market is highly competitive, filled with products from all over the world as well as from the US. There is so much diversity in the category as a result that it would take a lot of advertising and promotional spending for a particular brand of olive oil to come in and gain significant market share.

Could you comment on the local olive oil production in USA ?

Olive oil production in the US is in its infancy and shows no signs of slowing down. California is the dominant producer but other states are producing as well. The US producers are well organized and are trying to gain an advantage by:

1) being locally produced and

2) claiming to produce to the very highest standards.

That said, US olive oil still only accounts for 2-3% of olive oil consumed in the US. THIS WEBSITE has good information on US producers.

Which markets are currently showing the most promise for olive oil imports in the USA?

I am not certain that there’s a particular market here that has not yet reached the saturation point for olive oil imports. And with the huge number of shoppers who now buy groceries online, everyone has access to everything.

 

WORLD OLIVE OIL EXHIBITION 2017

The World Olive Oil Exhibition,which will be held on the coming 29th and 30th of March 2017 at Madrid’s IFEMA, offers the best opportunity to stimulate an increasingly global market. This trade fair is mainly geared towards producing cooperatives and olive mills that seek to open new markets and exportation possibilities.

For the 2017 fair, the WOOE is committed to gathering, in Madrid, the major international companies, guaranteeing an important presence of importers from the United States, the Middle East, Italy and Central Europe. Taking into account the active focus on olive oil by several emerging countries, an international event such as this trade fair is also an opportunity for the packaging sector to position itself in those emerging markets.