Picnic switches to Système U after two years with Cora

Dutch online supermarket Picnic will change its French supplier next year, leaving Cora for Système U. This is a logical consequence of movements at the level of European purchasing alliances.

Alliances shift

When Picnic launched its French activities in May 2021, it partnered with hypermarket chain Cora for purchasing and logistics. That collaboration will come to an end in the first quarter of 2023, French trade magazine LSA reports. From now on, Picnic will rely on the services of supermarket chain Système U for its supplies. “We have signed a similar agreement with U as with Cora”, Picnic co-founder Michiel Muller confirms.

The switch is not illogical and therefore not entirely unexpected. After all, Picnic is a member of the Amsterdam-based buying alliance Everest, as well as of the Geneva-based European buying group Epic Partners. In October, it was announced that Système U also joined both alliances. For the French supermarket chain, it is also an opportunity to strengthen its position in the north of the country.

Picnic currently operates in three northern French cities: Lens, Lille and Valenciennes. In August, the startup recorded 10,000 orders per week there, with an average order size of 80 euros.