Belgian retailer Colruyt has announced that it, along with its partners in the CORE purchasing group, Coop Schweiz and Conad, are to join the Alidis buying group.
Alidis, or the Alliance Internationale de Distributeurs, is the oldest European retail purchasing group, and also includes members Intermarché, Eroski and Edeka.
Commenting on the move, Frans Colruyt, COO Retail, Colruyt Group, said that he believes the deal would lead to "more innovation and variety in [Colruyt's] product range and an even better price/quality ratio, both for our own brands and international brands."
The move will push the annual turnover of Alidis to €140 billion.
Commenting, Barclays European Retail Equity Research said, "The concentration process between the various buying organizations continues, although we remain wary regarding the potential savings as suppliers remain reluctant to negotiate at the European level."
© 2015 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
