Edeka launches international purchasing alliance Epic Partners

The landscape of European purchasing alliances is shaken up once again: German chain Edeka joins forces with colleagues Biedronka, ICA, Jerónimo Martins, Magnit, Migros and Picnic to negotiate conditions with brand manufacturers.

Seven partners

The new European purchasing alliance, named Epic Partners, has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The organisation will conduct negotiations with the industry on an international level, according to German trade magazine Lebensmittel Zeitung. Edeka took the initiative and managed to convince a nice list of European colleagues to join the project.

Among the shareholders are not only the Dutch online supermarket Picnic – in which Edeka also invests – but also supermarket chains from countries as diverse as Poland (Biedronka), Portugal (Jerónimo Martins), Russia (Magnit), Sweden (ICA) and Switzerland (Migros).

Redistribution

It had been long expected that Edeka would set up a new purchasing alliance, after the retailer left Agecore earlier this year – followed not long after by Intermarché. A redistribution of the European purchasing landscape therefore became inevitable.

Remarkably, the new alliance is led by Gianluigi Ferrari. The former Agecore boss is also CEO of Everest, the Amsterdam-based purchasing alliance between Edeka and Picnic.

Meanwhile, there is no movement around Agecore, where Colruyt, Conad, Coop and Eroski are left orphaned after the two largest members resigned. New alliances may take shape in the coming weeks or months in Europe.