Purveyors of the finest fresh and organic fruit and vegetables
DELIVERIES – LOW EMISSION
At Bens, we have seen a dramatic increase in deliveries since lockdown began in all three stores, so much so, that we had to increase the number of delivery slots on a daily basis.
We had a much smaller delivery demand, prior to covid – but since the pandemic took hold, we have doubled our fleet. Since covid, we have gained a lot of new customers who used our delivery service for the first time and we now count them as our loyal regulars who have placed the same order every week.
What has really picked up is ‘same day delivery’, so the customers that are shielding or have been in isolation can get exactly what they need the very same day. We are dedicated to helping those who need it more and prioritse those elderly and shielding. We are now 40% take-away and delivery and the sales have almost doubled vs. the previous year driven by the trend towards more home cooking and search for organic and fresh fruit and vegetables.
ELECTRIC SCOOTERS
Our scooters are environmentally friendly with zero emissions. They are fun, easy, reliable and low cost to run. You don’t need annoying refuelling breaks, the battery can be changed easily and everywhere. They make no noise so great for quiet neighbourhoods. Bens staff love them too, they really enjoy going around delivering on our scooters. How can you not smile when you get on one, even in the rain!
In addition to electric scooters, we also have electric vans for bigger deliveries. If you order via the website we deliver via scooter, for those who live a little further away we are also on Deliveroo.
PERSONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE
Building a relationship with your customers, it’s something that you simply don’t get in the bigger stores, that personal touch is irreplaceable.
It’s also important to respond to what your community needs. For example, we have a number of customers who have been shielding or have to self-isolate, so increasing our delivery slots has been essential. We, like many other small retailers, want to be a force of good in the community and we do our bit to keep our carbon footprint low and its something our local community has really responded to.
We also help the elderly who cannot carry the grocery bags after they shop so we just deliver their bags with our scooters for free. The goal is to have a very intimate, local high human touch grocery experience.
ORGANIC PRODUCT
BENS pride themselves on always sourcing the highest quality produce from regional and renowned global markets, where all produce comes from planet friendly farmers. What sets BENS apart is not just the great quality but the extensive range of organic, healthy fruit and vegetables, with more than 300 different kind of produce in every store, you can find your beloved Kanzi apples and conference pears all the way to fresh dates, snake fruit, radicchio, mangoustine, custard apples and cucamelons.
We have definitely noticed our customers are wanting organic products, and it’s increasing. It’s a growing trend and we notice younger customers are turning towards a more nutritional, organic diet.. Almost all of BENS products are organic, some are non-organic and we have definitely seen a significant uptake in sales on organic products. There’s more home cooking and the volume of sales on fruit and vegetables has increased alot. People are trying new recipes for their families
- Vegan and plant-based diets are very popular. More and more customers are interested in the origins of their food and people are making healthy lifestyle choices, eating organic as it can benefit people with a range of health issues also.
- Customers are buying green vegetables like broccoli, aubergines, courgettes, spinach and kale. We noticed an increase since January.
- We have also noticed a huge increase in sales of ginger and citrus fruits to boost immune system…due to lockdown and people feeling run down last month. We are delivering these regularly to customers.
LESS PLASTIC
Bens are trying to eliminate all plastic packaging. Our bags are 100% compostable made of starch, no plastic use. We prefer craft paper bags and we are so happy that our customers are also very conscious and bring back the recyclable linen BENS bags for their shopping and contribute to the mission.
“We also work towards being sustainable and as green as possible. We wrap our fruit and vegetables in 100% organic, compostable bags and not in plastic as some of the big grocery players do. We source organic, local and fresh produce and a lot of our customers use our range of fruit and vegetables to create unusual, unique recipes and dishes.”
Says Ben Ozmen, Founder
Ben Ozmen
Ben grew up in Izmir, a coastal city in western Anatolia. Here he was surrounded by fresh produce and local farmers markets and Ben developed a passion for fresh produce at a young age. Izmir is known for its healthy, nutritional, vegetarian cuisine and so all his life he has shown an interest in fresh produce.
It was only when he moved to the UK and couldn’t get the variety or fresh produce that he craved did he decide to open up BENS in Westbourne grove. He made it his mission to source the best fresh and organic produce from near and far, traveling to suppliers across Europe. Three years later and with three stores, Ben still ensures he makes bi-weekly trips to France, Italy, the Netherlands and beyond to source the best product directly from the producers.
Ben eats an entirely plant-based diet and being around such amazing produce all day, it’s an easy feat!