Activities (1,3 MB) - Colruyt Group

90
Pro à Pro supplies food products to hotel and catering
companies (restauration commerciale) and to collectives
such as hospitals, schools, the army and company cafeterias
(restauration sociale). Pro à Pro is also active overseas, with
branches in the DomTom regions Guadeloupe, Martinique, Ile
de la Réunion and French Guyana.
Developments
In spite of the stagnating market, Pro à Pro still managed to
realise higher sales figures. In times of economic crisis, the
social restauration performs slightly better than the commercial
restauration. People eat out less often and spend less money.
In order to increase the service and to lower costs, Pro à Pro
worked on optimising its logistic process, which resulted in a
substantial contribution improvement.
Together with its own purchasing centre, Unifrais, Pro à Pro
focuses on enlarging its product range of fresh products. In
addition to dry goods, the formula also wishes to offer a full
range of fresh products.
Pro à Pro opened two new distribution centres. In Montauban in
the south-west of France (18.000 m²) and on the island Réunion
(4.200 m²). The existing distribution centre in Valenciennes was
enlarged with 4.000 m². Furthermore, in order to better serve
the region île de France a new platform of 4.500 m² was taken
into use in Rungis near Paris.
Pro à Pro is developing synergies within Colruyt Group to sell
its soft cheeses in the various store formulas of the group. In
the past financial year, 15.000 cheese platters were sold. The
customer is offered a wide choice and Colruyt Belgium wishes
to be the reference for French cheeses in the future.
In order to meet the rising demand for online ordering
possibilities, Pro à Pro launched a new order website in
March 2012 together with its Belgian counterpart Foodinvest.
The Foodinvest and Pro à Pro order websites are technically
identical. A considerable cost savings is realised by working with
the same IT platform.
Outlook
Pro à Pro expects to realise good sales results again in 2012.
Pro à Pro plans to expand its existing distribution centre in Saint-
Gilles with 3.000 m² for fresh products. The expectation is that
the distribution centre will be operational by the beginning of
2013.
www.proapro.com
Professional foodservice customers can place their orders
online. They can see all of the products and promotions at once
and they can place their orders 24 hour a day.
2.2.3. Export
Colex is Collivery’s export division. Colex makes deliveries on
various continents by container or by plane and provides a total
service package, including customs formalities and permits. The
focus lies on supplying retail products to retailers, wholesalers
and supermarkets in Africa. In addition, it is the intention to
develop more foodservice activities, also on other continents. In
France, the export activities are carried out by Pro à Pro.
With total revenues of EUR 28 million, the past financial year
was a record-breaking year for the export activities of Colruyt
Group. Export remains a profitable activity in the group and,
moreover, it still has a lot of potential.
Since 1 January 2012, there is one operational management for
both Colex and the French export division Pro à Pro Export. As
a result of this synergy, both formulas can exchange know-how.
It is eventually the intention to evolve into one export activity at
a group level.