The holiday season is the big annual event for Colipays. But 2021 was very special for the emblematic Reunion brand which celebrated its 30th anniversary. It was bought last April by two agricultural cooperatives which bring together 350 Reunion farmers..
By communicating at the end of November about the start of the lychee season, the new owners of Colipays wanted to show that the brand that invented fruit and flower gift packages was more than ever mobilized for the holidays. Despite a slight delay of around two weeks due to a southern winter which played into overtime, the 2021/2022 lychee season promises to be excellent and in return longer. “The trees are rich in fruit, flowering was good, which allowed good fruiting. This year, we will be able to spread the production of lychees until the end of January 2022” , declared Mathias Elma, lychee producer in Bois-Blanc. Like that of the other members of the SCA Fruits cooperative, most of Mathias Elma's production will be exported to festive tables. The cooperative resells them either to wholesalers in mainland France, either via Colipays or the Fruity Box. “Colipays produces the equivalent of 100,000 packages over a year, 65% of which in December. This represents between 60 and 70,000 packages over this coming month,” explained Nicolas Etheve., brand new CEO of Colipays.
Reunion farmers at the helm of Colipays
This year marks a turning point at Colipays which, in addition to celebrating its 30th anniversary, was sent to Reunion producers in April 2020. There are now 350 Reunion farmers who preside over one of the best-known brands in Reunion Island., via their cooperatives SCA Fruits and SICATR. The latter were both among the main fruit suppliers of Colipays since its beginnings. Both of them, they sell 15,000 tonnes of fruit, including 2000 tonnes for export. This export experience makes Reunion producers leading buyers for Colipays. The SCA Fruits cooperative had already launched in November 2020, the Fruity Box, a direct parcel delivery service from producer to consumer. The only downside to this first season for the new management of Colipays : the VAT package in force since July 1 which requires all e-commerce sellers in Reunion to apply VAT ranging from 8 to 20% depending on the nature of the products sent to the mainland and other countries of the European Union. “Very bad news and totally unfair for Reunionese consumers who are not considered by customs as part of the European community” protests Nicolas Etheve.
