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

(Pfäffikon/Switzerland) 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.

About EMD: 

European Marketing Distribution AG, headquartered in Pfäffikon, Switzerland, has been known in the consumer goods industry since 1989 as an efficient and high-performance partner for Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG). In particular, it develops and sources high-efficient and sustainably produced private label concepts for the benefit of consumers in now 21 countries. The EMD headquarters also supports and implements global partnerships in the area of on-top agreements with the largest brand manufacturers. Without Colruyt Group, EMD member companies in Europe and Oceania currently represent an external turnover of over 225 billion Euro.

The member companies of European Marketing Distribution (EMD) are active in the following markets:

Australia: Woolworths	Netherlands: C.I.V Superunie B.A.
Austria: MARKANT Österreich GmbH	Norway: Unil/NorgesGruppen AS
Bulgaria: Kaufland	Poland: Kaufland
Croatia: Kaufland	Portugal: EuromadiPort
Czech Republic: MARKANT	Romania: Kaufland
Denmark: Dagrofa a/s	Sweden: Dagab/Axfood
Germany: MARKANT	Switzerland: MARKANT
Italy: ESD Italia S.r.l.	Slovakia: MARKANT
New Zealand: Countdown (Woolworths)	Spain: Euromadi

In addition, EMD now has entered into a partnership with Colruyt Group for the international sourcing of private label products. The Belgian top retailer Colruyt Group is not only active in its home country, but also in France and Luxembourg. 

About Colruyt Group:  

Colruyt Group operates in the food and non-food distribution sector in Belgium, France and Luxembourg with more than 700 own stores and over 580 affiliated stores. In Belgium, this includes Colruyt Lowest Prices, Okay, Bio-Planet, Cru, Dreamland, Dreambaby, Bike Republic, Zeb, PointCarré, The Fashion Store and the affiliated stores Spar and PointCarré. In France, in addition to Colruyt stores and DATS 24 filling stations, there are also affiliated Coccinelle, Coccimarket, Panier Sympa and PointCarré stores. Jims operates fitness clubs in Belgium and Luxembourg. Newpharma is the Belgian online pharmacy of Colruyt Group. Solucious and Culinoa deliver food service and retail products to professional customers in Belgium (hospitals, SMEs, hospitality sector, etc.). The activities of Colruyt Group also comprise printing and document management solutions (Symeta Hybrid) and, until June 2023, energy supply by DATS 24 in Belgium (fuels, natural gas and green energy). The group employs more than 33.000 employees and recorded a EUR 10,8 billion revenue in 2022/23. Etn. Fr. Colruyt NV is listed on Euronext Brussels (COLR) under ISIN code BE0974256852.