Transgourmet Germany, Coop Switzerland's wholesale business, has announced the launch of a new joint venture with German food manufacturer Dr. Oetker.
After entering the wholesale drinks market last year, Transgourmet's operations have become much more complex, according to the company, leading to the creation of the joint venture.
Transgourmet has sought to reposition its operations as a result of the increasing professionalisation of the food service industry, the growing importance of a relevant digital strategy, and the rising challenge of logistics when building an international wholesale business.
To answer those needs, Transgourmet is seeking to improve upon its'Team Beverage' logistics and buying platform, which is marketed to restaurants as well as other wholesale drinks sellers. The tie up with Oetker Group has led to the creation of a new joint venture called F&B - Food & Beverage Services GmbH.
Reference Point
The new venture will help to position the group as the main reference point for drinks in Germany, according to Frank Seipelt, chief operating officer of Transgourmet Deutschland GmbH & Co, "Transgourmet entered the drinks market a year ago with 'Team Beverage' in an attempt to better respond to the needs of our clients who wanted more action and less talk.
"To take on the larger HoReCa market and Drinks market, you absolutely have to perfectly nail the platform you're making on a qualitative and quantitative level. This alliance with the Oetker Group aims to make Team Beverage the reference platform in the German food service industry".
This partnership also offers an opportunity to develop a leaner, faster business solution according to Dr. Niels Lorenz, chief representative of Dr. August Oetker KG Beer and Non-Alcoholic Beverages, "The rules of the industry evolve at a breakneck speed in our industry. Nowadays, it's not about offering drinks, a single service or even services on a single customer category, it's about offering relevant solutions that are as wide-ranging as possible.
"The more services and products from various players are grouped in a single offer, the clearer the advantage is for the client. Therefore, there's every reason to rejoice about this joint venture with Transgourmet, as we will develop the existing platform in new ways, trying proactively to make it more flexible and more innovative. Together, we will be able to offer the industry a global solution to make their business models futureproof."
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Matthieu Chassain. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine
