Lidl Reorganises Management Structure In Germany
ESM - European Supermarket Magazine
The industry magazine for C-suite executives and procurement managers working in the European grocery retail sector.
Discounter Lidl is undertaking a reorganisation of its management structure in Germany, as it seeks to speed-up decision making and streamline operations, according to reports. Christian Härtnagel, head of Lidl Germany, will remain in his position, but has been assigned a deputy, Jan Bock, who previously held the role of head of purchasing at Lidl International. Elsewhere, a former Lidl executive, Arnd Pickardt, who left the discounter for Tchibo in 2018, has been named a new member of Lidl's management board. Read more about Lidl's new regional management restructure →
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Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky is leading a €1.35 billion investment plan to rescue Groupe Casino, the French retailer has said, dwarfing a rival proposal backed by telecoms maverick Xavier Niel. The proposed cash injection satisfies, on paper, Casino's self-imposed objective of bringing in €900 million in new equity, as the firm, home to the Monoprix and Franprix chains, strives to shore up its balance sheet, saddled by an unsustainable €6.4 billion debt. But it is only the first step of Casino's wide-ranging restructuring plan, which it said needed to be ironed out by the end of July and would require a deal with debt holders within a court-led process overseen by the French finance ministry.
Food exports from Lidl Portugal accounted for 1.9% of the country's total food exports to the European Union in 2022, according to a study conducted by KPMG. The Study of the Impact of Lidl Exports on the National Economy also revealed that on a direct and indirect level, these exports generated €245 million (up 12% compared to 2021) in the sectors associated with the production of these products. In financial year 2022, the discounter sourced products from more than 100 Portuguese suppliers, exporting over 200 SKUs to 29 countries, with Germany, Spain and France being the main markets.
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Discounter Penny Italia has become the first mainstream grocer in Italy to launch a private label range sourced from vertical farming. The 'pianetiamo' range is produced through the use of aeroponic technology, a form of vertical farming that uses 95% less water, zero pesticides, and with little to no land usage required. The range is also 100% sourced in Italy.
Belgian retailer Colruyt Group has partnered with European Marketing Distribution (EMD), an international retail buying alliance, in a partnership exclusively focused on sourcing of private-label products. Colruyt, which generated turnover of more than €10 billion in its most recent financial year is a good fit with the Pfäffikon, Switzerland-based group, according to EMD managing director Philippe Gruyters, who described Colruyt as "one of the most customer-oriented and innovative retailers, with a strong private label offer.
British online retailer Ocado has announced the appointment of Gregor Ulitzka as President, Europe of its Ocado Solutions arm. In the role, Ulitzka will lead Ocado Solutions operations across the region, growing Ocado’s relationships with current partners and seeking to attract new retailers to the Ocado Smart Platform. Ulitzka has experience in developing and scaling supply chain solutions in Europe and globally, Ocado said.
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1yThis is a great decision for Lidl in Germany. Streamlining operations and their decision making are imperative for innovation. One of the biggest challenges for innovators is getting others inside the company to accept a solution, killing otherwise amazing concepts. I can't wait to see what changes to the retail landscape that this will bring. 🤓🍿