Maxi alliance in the world of Italian supermarkets. Conad and the Finiper group, owner of the Iper hypermarkets and the Unes and U2 supermarkets, have signed a four-year strategic partnership agreement effective from 2015 and automatically renewable for another five years. The first has a market share of 18,5% (2013 turnover of 11,6 billion) and the second revenues of 2,5 billion with a share of 2,8%. Together (in purchasing) they will compete for market leadership with the giant Coop. The agreement provides for collaboration in non-food products, or rather "in services and assortments with particular attention to hypermarkets". The axis between the two Italian groups will start in joint purchases but could expand to other areas such as logistics, new products and sectors with the highest rate of innovation (gastronomy, fishmongers, cold cuts) up to customer services and strategies coordinated brand between the two players.
“At the basis of the agreement – reads the joint note – there are the respective strengths: for Conad the branded product and a presence in all the Italian provinces and abroad through the Core partners; for Fini, for the large non-food sector represented by hypermarkets and U2 points of sale. Conad, organized with independent entrepreneurs gathered in a cooperative, developed a turnover of 2013 billion in 11,6 (+5,9% on 2012) reaching a market share of 11,4%”.
“For us, this agreement represents a starting point for strengthening our presence on the Italian market – said Marco Brunelli, president of Finiper -. The partnership with Conad will allow us to compare the respective prerogatives, aiming for excellence”.
The two groups Conad and Finiper "have adequate resources and capabilities to be able to seize the opportunities offered by the crisis - commented the managing director of Conad, Francesco Pugliese -, proposing convenience and services that are ever closer to the needs of citizens, but also protecting the quality of the productions of the Italian agri-food chain”.
