EROSKI is marking a decade of progress in developing its locally sourced own-brand milk model, an initiative launched in 2016 to support the primary sector, help ensure the continuity of dairy farms and offer consumers a distinctive proposition based on local sourcing, quality and origin.

Since its launch, EROSKI has sold more than 215 million litres of locally sourced milk. The cooperative currently operates this model in the Basque Country, Galicia, Navarre and Catalonia, where it sells milk produced in each respective region with long-term partnerships with its suppliers.

The initiative emerged at a time when own-brand products were becoming increasingly prominent. EROSKI therefore decided to link the development of its own brand to supporting local farms, making it a tool for generating economic activity in the regions and building a proposition closely linked to the local agri-food sector.

“Ten years ago, we decided to develop a model that would enable us to combine our focus on own-brand products with one of our longstanding commitments: supporting the local agri-food sector. A decade later, having sold more than 215 million litres demonstrates the strength of a project built on cooperation and a long-term vision. Working locally enables us to contribute to the stability of producers and offer our customers quality products with strong ties to their local communities,” says Asier Guridi, EROSKI’s Commercial Director for Local Products.

 

A local model tailored to each region

The project began in 2016 with the launch of locally sourced EROSKI milk in Galicia, the Basque Country, Navarre and Catalonia, adapting the proposition to the production characteristics of each region. In the Balearic Islands, the initiative was subsequently launched and recorded cumulative sales of 2.9 million litres, although EROSKI no longer sells locally sourced Balearic milk because there is no local production to sustain the model.

Over the decade as a whole, the Basque Country accounted for the largest share of the project, at around 56% of the more than 215 million litres of locally sourced milk sold by EROSKI, followed by Galicia at approximately 21%, Navarre at close to 14% and Catalonia at around 7%. The volume historically sold in the Balearic Islands accounts for approximately 1% of the remaining total.

A core principle of the model is that locally sourced milk must come from the same region in which it is sold. This commitment involves working with local suppliers and establishing relationships designed to provide continuity and stability for both parties. For EROSKI, proximity also helps strengthen the production base of the regions in which it operates and supports progress towards a model that promotes local economic development, encourages local supply chains and helps reduce transport distances.

 

A decade of own-brand evolution

Over these ten years, the role of own-brand products in shopping habits has also evolved. Beyond their traditional association with savings, own-brand products have gained prominence for their ability to offer quality, differentiation and innovation, broadening their appeal to a wider range of consumers.

For locally sourced milk, EROSKI has maintained a core range from the outset comprising whole, semi-skimmed and skimmed varieties in one-litre cartons. The range has gradually been expanded with new products: in 2023, EROSKI introduced own-brand locally sourced fresh milk in the Basque Country in whole and semi-skimmed varieties and in 2025 extended this offering to Galicia.

This evolution reflects EROSKI’s commitment to developing a competitive own brand capable of adapting to its customers’ changing needs while maintaining its links with producers and its commitment to local sourcing.

 

Quality, animal welfare and sustainability

Quality is one of the key criteria underpinning the model, both in production processes and in the final product. To ensure quality, the cooperative conducts regular audits and works jointly with its suppliers in areas such as animal welfare, with 100% of its own-brand locally sourced milk currently certified under the Welfair® standard.

In addition, the cooperative runs sustainability support programmes that involve more than 390 suppliers to help them adapt to new regulatory requirements and to support continuous improvement in areas such as packaging ecodesign, decarbonisation and food waste prevention. These initiatives help strengthen the competitiveness of the supplier base and support joint progress towards more efficient and responsible production models. In the area of innovation, EROSKI shares with its suppliers the insights gained from actively listening to consumers to identify trends and develop new propositions adapted to the evolving market.

 

A forward-looking vision for the local dairy sector

After a decade of progress, EROSKI identifies farm profitability, generational renewal and sustainability as among the main challenges facing the dairy sector. Ensuring the continuity of local production requires competitive farms and efforts to keep farming attractive to new generations.

Against this backdrop, the cooperative remains committed to further developing its locally sourced milk offering in the regions where it operates, wherever there is a sufficiently strong local production base to support the model and to progressively adding new locally sourced products to its dairy range.

EROSKI will continue to champion cooperation among retailers, producers and other stakeholders in the food chain to promote long-term projects that advance the local agri-food sector and enable consumers to enjoy a proposition based on local sourcing, quality and trust.