From April to September, three campaigns will bring this REWE message to men and women: REWE is "closer" - to customers and local producers in the regions. This will be visible on TV and social media, and above all in the regions and in every store. Three of our colleagues from headquarters, regions and stores report on what this means for them and how they implement the topic of regionality.
For Stefan Weiss, regionality pays off twice over: Thanks to short transport routes and transparency in the supply chain, it helps us to achieve our sustainability goals. REWE can also set itself apart from the competition with a broad regional range: "For many customers, regional food continues to be an important criterion when choosing where to shop," says the Sales Department Manager. "Thanks to the strong network of our local store managers, we are able to live regionality authentically."
When it comes to credibly conveying the "Closer to home" message, the colleagues in the stores play a key role. Stefan Weiss: "They support us by bringing regionality to life in the store - be it through eye-catching displays and secondary placements or through selective highlights in the store such as tastings from regional suppliers."
As a local representative, Eva-Maria Döhler-Herzing looks after the local partnerships in the centre region. She connects regional suppliers with REWE stores in their neighbourhood and helps with the listing of products, among other things. She is currently hoping to further expand the local partnerships.
The categories of poultry products, canned fruit and regional specialities such as green sauce are currently in particularly high demand in the Central region. "With campaigns such as farmers' markets, harvest festivals or farm visits for employees, we give local producers a platform to engage in dialogue with market managers," she says. "Regional product ranges offer advantages for everyone involved: they bring quality to customers, more revenue to the markets and strengthen our local agriculture."
From apple juice from Erbenheim to wine jelly from the Hessian monastery of Erbenbach: regional products are part and parcel of REWE salesman Stefan Zizek's Green Farming store. They account for more than 10 per cent of revenue. "We have over 100 regional suppliers. 15 suppliers come from a radius of one to two kilometres. Basil, perch and honey come from our own cultivation. There is rarely as much regionality as here," says Zizek. In his store in Wiesbaden-Erbenheim, regional produce is prominently displayed on the gondola heads. One reason for this? Customer loyalty. "Customers who buy local are very loyal. They come to us because they know that they can get many products from their region here that they can't find in other supermarkets."
Both German and English comments appear here.
To my ears, the term "cultivation" fits neither honey nor perch.