International retail alliance EMD starts partnership in joint sourcing of Private Label products with Colruyt Group, the leading Belgian retailer

Pfäffikon/Switzerland, 30/06/2023. European Marketing Distribution (EMD) is pleased to announce a new and prominent partnership: EMD and Belgian top retailer Colruyt Group have agreed to a new partnership in the international sourcing of private label products. Colruyt Group, a successful family business, is active with its food distribution channels not only in Belgium, but also in France and Luxembourg. In the financial year 2022/23 (1 April to 31 March), the new EMD cooperation partner achieved a group-wide turnover of well over 10 billion euros.

Philippe Gruyters, Managing Director of European Marketing Distribution AG, is looking forward to working with Colruyt Group on private label joint sourcing. He emphasises how well the company with its headquarters in Halle (near Brussels, Belgium) fits into EMD’s European and global network: "Colruyt Group is one of the most customer-oriented and innovative retailers with a strong private label offer. This is an excellent prerequisite for cooperation with the EMD alliance, which focuses exclusively on the joint sourcing and procurement of high-demand private labels.” 

Colruyt Group which is also listed on the stock exchange, generates 80 per cent of the group's turnover in food retailing. In Belgium, the company is the country's most popular food retailers with its brands Colruyt Lowest Prices, Collect&Go, Okay, Bio-Planet, Spar Colruyt Group, Solucious and Cru. In the food retail sector alone, Colruyt Group has more than 450 integrated stores in Belgium, 95 in France and 6 in Luxembourg. Colruyt Group is also a supplier to over a thousand independent stores and professional clients in Belgium and France.

Geert Roels, CPO at Colruyt Group, also emphasises the advantages of the partnership with European Marketing Distribution: "We are looking forward to the partnership with the many renowned trade colleagues at EMD. This network enjoys an excellent reputation among the international retail alliances and stands for the joint procurement of high quality and sustainably produced private labels, from which customers in all Colruyt Group distribution regions will now also benefit".

EMD’s cooperation with Colruyt Group is a partnership exclusively on Private Label. Not a membership, nor an associated membership. Colruyt Group continues its membership into the Agecore alliance both for National Brands and for Private Label.

 

New Superunie CEO Boudewijn van den Brand elected to succeed Dick Roozen on EMD's Board of Directors/Johan Neuman of Dagab/Axfood confirmed as Chairman of the Board for another two years

EMD also has more news to report on its internal executive body: at the recent shareholders' meeting in Milan, Dick Roozen, the long-standing CEO of Dutch retailer and EMD member Superunie, was given a warm send-off by the EMD board of directors. The new CEO of Superunie, Boudewijn van den Brand, was unanimously elected as his successor on this board. President of the Board of Directors is the Swede Johan Neuman from EMD member Dagab/Axfood, who was confirmed in office for another two years at the shareholders' meeting.