Jumbo and Hema extend collaboration

Supermarket chain Jumbo has been selling Hema products for a while, but soon the latter will return the favour in a trial that is part of CEO Saskia Egas Reparaz’ new strategy.

Working closer together

Which of the Jumbo products will eventually end up at Hema is still to be examined, but the CEO primarily thinks of meals and sandwiches for customers on the go, she says in an interview with Dutch news site NU.nl. The cooperation is not all that surprising, as the founding family of Jumbo also owns Hema as of last year. Earlier, many Jumbo stores already introduced a dedicated shelve for Hema products.

Hema will also invest more in the shopping experience and convenience: the company will accelerate digitisation to make a “seamless connection with the stores”. Hema intends to roll out this omnichannel approach in the growth countries Germany and Austria as well.

Sustainability

The products themselves must become more sustainable, the CEO says. The retail chain wants to focus on products with a longer lifespan, with a recognisable Dutch design and yet are accessible to everyone. “With this, we are increasingly distancing ourselves from the single-use lifestyle”, says Egas Reparaz.

Earlier, Hema announced that it will focus more than ever on its own stores and online channels within the Benelux and France. In that respect, the retailer already withdrew from the United Kingdom and Spain. The collaboration with Wehkamp and the shop-in-shops at Franprix and Géant Casino also came to an end.