Vintage tin for green brand (Groenmerk) cocoa made by De Gruyter

Vintage tin for green brand (Groenmerk) cocoa made by De Gruyter

• Manufacturer: De Gruyter
• Date of manufacture: 1930 - 1940

Green and brown tin box for DE GRUYTER'S COCOA.

Description
Storage tin De Gruyter's Groenmerk Cacao. Rectangular green and brown tin with a hinged lid. The decoration of this cocoa tin consists of a gold band and a woman's head in a circle on the left in a green area. The lid has a sharp edge and is attached with a pin hinge. The tin also has a stop edge and the bottom is seamed inwards. The slogan "En better value and 10 per cent only de Gruyter" is stamped on the inside of the lid.

Condition
This tin is in a vintage condition with traces of use and age-related traces of wear. Light rusting on the low parts of the tin. The bottom is in good condition. Photos are part of the description.

Dimensions

• Height: 8.8 cm.
• Length: 14.7cm.
• Width: 9.8 cm.

De Gruyter was a retail chain in the Netherlands, in the 19th century and 20th century (until 1976). At its peak, there were more than 550 stores and nearly 7,500 employees.

Piet de Gruijter (1795-1867) started in 1818 in 's-Hertogenbosch with a horse grits mill, a company for the processing of pulses, seeds and grains. Later his son Louis (1833-1911) took over the company. The clientele mainly consisted of farmers in the 's-Hertogenbosch area.

A chain of shops was added to the processing plant at the end of the 19th century, initially only in 's-Hertogenbosch. In 1896 a shop was opened in Utrecht and in 1902 in Amsterdam.

A third-generation now belonged to the management of the De Gruyter company: the sons Lambert (1873-1951) and Jacques (1875-1950). The roasting of coffee beans was started in 1912.

An important element in the sales policy was the giving of a 10% discount when handing in the receipts. The slogan of De Gruyter was, therefore: And better true and ten per cent, only De Gruyter. This rewarded loyal customers and provided an additional means of checking the branch managers. Because De Gruyter only sold products of its own brand, the gross prices could not be compared with those of others.

The 44th store opened in the Netherlands in 1913. At that time, most stores were located in the four major cities of the Netherlands.

In the pillarized Netherlands, De Gruyter was the shop of the Catholics, the Protestants opted for Albert Heijn, among others. With the depolarization, these relations gradually loosened up after 1950.

The De Gruyter group reached its peak in the 1960s. There were more than 550 stores and nearly 7,500 employees. In 's-Hertogenbosch large production sites had already been established. The group had food stores spread across the country.

As a customer binder, De Gruyter gave away a small gift for children every week from 1948: the legendary Candy of the week. It was introduced when sugar went off the receipt after World War II and there was too much sugar on offer. With a few guilders worth of groceries, unsolicited candy was given to the children. Later the "candy" became a plastic toy, a game, a doll or a book. Something different every week. A long-lasting campaign was that of cardboard building boards for houses and buildings.

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