13/08/2025 08:30 |
RTG International joins Carrefour and Coopérative U for the launch of the new European buying alliance, Concordis |
INFORMATION REGLEMENTEE
RTG International joins Carrefour and Coopérative U
for the launch of the new European buying alliance, Concordis Hamburg, Massy and Rungis, August 13, 2025 - RTG International is joining forces with Carrefour and Coopérative U to launch the new European buying alliance, Concordis, whose creation was initially announced on July 7th. RTG International will consolidate purchasing price negotiations within the Concordis suppliers scope, on behalf of several predominantly family-owned German retailers: Rossmann, Globus, Bartels-Langness, Bünting, Netto, tegut, Kaes and Klaas & Kock. Collectively, these groups represent nearly €31bn in revenue across around 570 hypermarkets, 770 supermarkets, and 2,230 drugstores. Together, the three founding partners of Concordis thus represent a combined turnover of over €125bn. With banners that are well established in France, Germany, and Spain, the three partners cover a wide range of complementary store formats (hypermarkets, supermarkets, convenience stores, drugstores, etc.) at the heart of some of the most competitive markets in Europe. This cooperation is focusing on improving purchasing conditions with major multinational suppliers of branded consumer goods. By creating synergies, the alliance will reduce costs, increase productivity, improve product quality, strengthen innovation and respond more effectively to the expectations of consumers. The three partners share a common vision of relationships with suppliers—loyal and transparent, built on mutual development and mindful of maintaining key balances in agri-food supply chains. Carrefour, Coopérative U and RTG International intend to welcome additional partners at a later stage, selected based on their size within their local markets, in order to continue building a leading European buying alliance. The creation of this new European buying alliance has been formally communicated by its three founders to the French and German competition authorities, enabling Concordis to be operational in time for the 2026 negotiations. While the partners have decided to enter into a buying agreement, they will retain full decision-making autonomy with regard to their respective development and commercial policies. Alexandre BOMPARD, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Carrefour, stated: “The integration of RTG International into Concordis marks a decisive step in the consolidation of our European alliance. It confirms the attractiveness and relevance of our project which is to build a powerful purchasing coalition capable of offering its members enhanced competitive leverage. With the arrival of RTG, Concordis now brings together two of the largest consumer markets in Europe and strengthens its negotiating power on a continental scale. Furthermore, the growing diversity of distribution channels represented – large-scale food retailers, specialised retailers, and now the fast-growing drugstore segment – is a major asset in our dialogue with manufacturers.” 1 Dominique SCHELCHER, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Coopérative U, added: “We are delighted to welcome RTG International into our new European buying alliance founded with Carrefour. This arrival reinforces the relevance of Concordis and will enable us to strengthen our competitiveness, benefiting our customers' purchasing power, in line with our CAP 15 strategic plan. Primarily composed of family-owned groups with close ties to the local community, this new German partner enhances the entrepreneurial dynamic of our alliance, in line with the values of Coopérative U.” Michael KUTZ, Managing Director of RTG International, added: "By joining Concordis, our German retailers will benefit from an enhanced position in international negotiations. This partnership is crucial for our long-term competitiveness. In an environment of increasing pressure on purchasing power, this collaboration allows us to secure the best conditions with our international partners. This is a clear win for the customers." About Carrefour With a multi-format network of over 15,000 stores in more than 40 countries, the Carrefour Group is one of the world’s leading food retailers. In 2024, Carrefour generated sales of €94.6 billion. Its network of integrated stores employs over 300,000 people, all contributing to making Carrefour the global leader in the food transition for everyone—by providing access to quality food, everywhere, at a reasonable price. Altogether, more than 500,000 people work under the Carrefour banner worldwide. To learn more, visit www.carrefour.com, follow us on X (@news_carrefour) and on LinkedIn (Carrefour). About Coopérative U At Coopérative U, we stand for a different kind of retail—one rooted in strong values and low prices. With over 131 years of history, Coopérative U today brings together 1,800 stores (Hyper U, Super U, U Express, Utile) across France and abroad, supported by more than 75,000 employees. Through our 61 U agricultural supply chains, we maintain long-term partnerships with over 6,000 farmers, promoting a French agricultural model based on food sovereignty, fair compensation for producers, and sustainable farming practices. As independent retailers deeply embedded in local communities, we act every day to offer low prices, responsible and high-quality U-branded products, local sourcing, and more sustainable consumption choices. www.magasins-u.com About RTG International RTG International GmbH is a company owned by the shareholders Rossmann, Globus, Bartels-Langness, Bünting, Tegut, Netto, Kaes, and Klaas & Kock. Its objective is to consolidate their national purchasing volumes into a cooperative international purchasing initiative for the provision, intermediation, and support of services in the retail and wholesale sectors. The company is headquartered in Hamburg. Its managing director is Michael Kutz. www.rtgroup.de 2 Press contact - Carrefour Tel: +33 (0)1 58 47 88 80 E-mail: presse_france@carrefour.com Press contact - Coopérative U Fabien BRUNEL Responsable relations presse et communication corporate fabien.brunel@cooperative-u.fr Tel: +33 (0)6 08 51 90 11 TBWA\Corporate cooperativeU@tbwa-corporate.com Press contact - RTG International Michael Kutz michael.kutz@rtgroup.de Tel: +49 40 325 122 10 3 |