Jumbo is ending its partnership with the international purchasing organizations Everest and Epic. The supermarket chain has frequently struggled with empty shelves in recent months, which experts attribute to its partnership with these organizations.
On the other hand, the joint purchasing strategy yielded millions of euros in purchasing benefits for Jumbo, former CEO Ton van Veen explained during the presentation of the latest annual figures. According to him, it was absolutely essential for Jumbo to have a stronger financial position during the negotiations, in which Jumbo faces food giants like Coca-Cola, Nestlé, and Unilever.
Compared to these companies, Jumbo was a small player. But with the support of these partnerships, which also include the large German Edeka and other European corporations, Jumbo wielded much greater negotiating power. This yielded Jumbo €50 million in purchasing benefits annually.
The Jumbo of the past may have been "friendly" to suppliers, but that wasn't always the most financially sound decision, Van Veen said in retrospect. "In a market where a few percent of the profit is at stake, we were buying at a percentage point too high. We may have had good relationships, but they were very expensive."
The hard-line purchasing strategy also had its drawbacks, namely empty shelves at Red Bull, Coca-Cola, and De Ruijter 's mice . Jumbo's negotiating strategy also caused resentment on the other side of the table.
Suppliers felt that Everest, in particular, made unreasonable demands, with the risk of a delivery stoppage always looming. A 2024 survey by Supermarktkompas revealed that "empty shelves and out-of-stock products" were cited by supermarket customers as their biggest annoyance.
"While the partnership has definitely brought us value, we also view its termination as a positive development," said interim CEO Tom Heidman in a press release. According to him, the partnership no longer aligns with "Jumbo's strategic direction." This requires "more space to shape the purchasing of A-brands independently and in direct collaboration with suppliers – in keeping with Jumbo's family business."
Jumbo has not commented on whether it is seeking new purchasing partners. Other supermarkets have also joined international alliances. Albert Heijn joined a purchasing organization called Eurelec and was already a member of Coopernic. Superunie (which includes Dirk, Vomar, and Plus) collaborates with, among others, the Belgian market leader Colruyt in an organization called Vasco. According to experts, it is almost essential for a supermarket company to be internationally united for purchasing.
