EROSKI brings together over 300 suppliers to share the lines that will define their strategic plan in the next 3 years

Today EROSKI has brought together in Bilbao over 400 people, including 300 suppliers of the food industry, as well as representatives of the financial sector and executives of MONDRAGON and of sectoral associations such as AECOC, to share their strategic lines for the next three years. A plan that maintains and reaffirms their roots, their DNA, their values and, of course, their purpose, but updates their mission to ‘Create and Grow’ in and for a prosperous and sustainable future, combining the generation of business results with the creation of wealth in the surrounding area, ensuring full customer satisfaction and promoting healthy eating.

The meeting was held with the participation of the Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu and the Basque Government’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Policy, Bittor Oroz, as well as the presence of outstanding figures of the sector.

At the end of the meeting, the Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, highlighted the importance of a strategic sector as the agrifood sector and how groups like Eroski play a key role in the food chain. “You are essential for something as necessary as the supply of basic food products to citizens as well as the weight of exports in our economy, and an indispensable ally in the distribution sector”, he said. “Without a strong distribution sector, it is difficult to guarantee a reliable and adequate supply throughout the country”, he added.

EROSKI’s CEO, Rosa Carabel, presented the group’s development in recent years, the current situation and the main lines of the strategic plan, focused on innovation, sustainability, health and wealth generation. Hence, she placed the focus on their unique business model that is one-of-a-kind in the sector, with really cohesive teams and a remarkable innovative spirit, and underlined that “EROSKI is at a crucial moment to reinforce its position in the market. Our roadmap is marked by the search for a prosperous and sustainable future, with quality, family saving and an increasingly personalized shopping experience in our stores as cornerstones, grounded on the commitment to consumers’ health and well-being. With a positive evolution of results, a normalized debt, a sound and efficient network and a growing recognition by consumers, it is time for EROSKI to create and grow”.

Moreover, EROSKI’s Commercial Manager, Beatriz Santos, pointed out during her speech that “the improvement in price competitiveness, a commitment to quality local fresh produce and a significant investment in technology aimed at transforming the customer experience as well as the operating efficiency” will be part of the main strategic lines that will govern the company until 2026. She also explained that “our commitment to ‘Always Good Price’ will enable us to offer prices in line with or lower than those of our most direct competitors in thousands of everyday products”. Another fundamental pillar of the new plan is the extension of the effective and efficient range, with a special approach to cover all consumer needs, with a large presence of products and trademarks in order to offer a wide choice and with local products taking centre stage, which underlines EROSKI’s commitment to healthy and affordable eating.

In terms of growth, EROSKI anticipated the incorporation of more than 150 new stores in the next three years, their own as well as franchised. “Our ambition is to remain a leading brand in the north of Spain and expand our presence to other regions through our franchise network”, Beatriz Santos explained.

She also shared with those present EROSKI’s plan to “invest more than 100 million Euros in an ambitious technology transformation programme that includes the implementation of artificial intelligence and robotization to improve decision-making and commercial processes.”

The event included a round table on the use of advanced analytics and big data in the retail sector, with the participation of experts from leading companies and scholars such as Fernando Pasamón, Managing Partner Consumer Industry and Growth Leader at Deloitte Spain; Rai Cararach, Corporate Sales Director at Nestlé España; and Rosario Pedrosa, head of AECOC’s commercial strategy and marketing area, together with EROSKI’s representatives, Ana Cuevas, Marketing Mix Manager, and Carmen Guelbenzu, Food CCO. This debate stressed the relevance of the integration of new technologies in the management of the value chain that will open new future collaboration opportunities in order to adapt to the changes in the market, work together to offer the best products and services to consumers and ensure the effectiveness and the efficiency of processes and decisions.