About 40% of Lidl Bulgaria's suppliers are currently Bulgarian and this relationship, which started in 2010, will continue to improve," stated Milena Dragiyska, CEO of the company. In her words, the chain started collaborating with 74 new Bulgarian suppliers in the 2015-2016 financial year alone, 21 of which are for fruits and vegetables. Last year, the number of Bulgarian producers supplying key products had grown by 33% compared to 2015.
Dragiyska affirms that "working together with Bulgarian suppliers leads to higher quality and a wider product range, making it easier for them, at the same time, to increase their production volumes, make investments and hire more employees, and it is also a springboard to foreign markets."
She pointed out that, thanks to such partnerships, more than 20 Bulgarian companies have been given the opportunity to sell in other countries where Lidl operates. Depending on their capacity, some of them have managed to export to up to 14 countries.
Lidl requires all its partners to consistently deliver high quality products meeting international quality standards (IFS, BSC, FSSC), as well as stability in the volumes supplied and compliance with ethical rules of operation.
Source: regal.bg
