Traditional Greengrocer Smashes Internet Barrier!

Director Daniel Ox explains, “100 years ago my family sold fresh fruit from a traditional horse and cart. They moved on to owning fruit stalls, then shops, operating out of London's New Covent Garden Market. But the economic landscape changed so dramatically during the last 10 years that many traditional family market stall holders like us were almost driven to extinction, alarmingly quickly.”

New convenience chains and inner city mini-markets dealt a fast, fatal blow to many fruit delivery. But Fruit For The Office decided to buck the trend, adapt and survive. Born out of adversity, it is living evidence of a successful do-or-die effort to save Ox's family business.

Initially focusing on doing what they knew best, delivering first class quality office fruit to commercial and business premises all over London via a clear, easy to use website, Fruit For The Office now supplies a huge range of products. As well as mouth-watering office fruit they deliver everything from freshly squeezed juices, tea, coffee and mineral water – and of course for your coffee and tea lovers, Fruit For The Office also does milk delivery .

“We quickly identified exactly what our target market – businesses of all shapes and sizes - wanted” says Ox. “Because my family has been in the fruit delivery business so long, we're at a real advantage. We have a deeper knowledge of our products and market than any supermarket could hope to achieve.” It's convenient too. Fruit For The Office's one stop shop lets businesses order all their office fruit and other fresh products from one supplier, on one monthly invoice. More than 400 customers so far - and counting – appreciate dealing with a single supplier, enjoying vastly simplified ordering and invoicing processes.

So who's the brainchild behind this transformation from award winning traditional business to roaring online success? Daniel Ox recently received a BT Essence Young Entrepreneur Award. He believes it's all about flexibility and quality. “We understand you have to be flexible to survive. But one thing remains consistent throughout all the business models we've been involved with as a family, from horse and cart to website. The quality of our produce is matchless, the best the world can offer. Superb products and family values sit at the core of our business and always will.”