Kaufland includes Eastern European purchasing in EMD

Kaufland will bundle the purchasing for stores in Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Romania and include them in the EMD alliance. Lidl sister company Kaufland has been strongly linked to the purchasing and marketing alliance EMD, which Superunie has also been a member of since 2005, since day one. Kaufland has a 'strong position' in Eastern European countries, according to Frank Hirnschal, member of the Board of Management and responsible for trade, branding and marketing for Kaufland, in a report on the decision.

Growth
Now that the volumes for stores in Czech Republic, Poland, Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria are to be concentrated in the negotiations EMD carries out, this raises the sales opportunities for partners in the industry, says Hirnschalm who in convinces that the 'cooperative partnership' via EMD enable Kaufland to realise a larger and more customer focussed growth in existing Eastern European markets.

Asda
EMD, seated in the Swiss Pfäffikon, was able to tie Walmart subsidiary Asda to itself earlier this year. Including Kaufland, the purchasing and market alliance has a Pan-European turnover of 178 billion Euro in 19 countries.