The summer holidays are just around the corner. Time to eagerly look forward to some fun and relaxing moments. Solucious is also ready for the summer. Chances are that we'll be crossing your path a few times and you won't even have noticed.
Take that mocktail or cocktail at the beach bar or the drink in your hand on a festival site, the snack at a stand at Ghent Festival, lunch with friends on a terrace, the ice cream at an amusement park, etc. Or your son or daughter's camp menu. Because this summer we'll be supplying numerous youth camps throughout Belgium again.
In addition to this, summer is also the start of the new mussel season. And the great news is that this year Solucious will be helping catering businesses put mussels from our own sea farm on their menus for the first time! This first makes me very proud and it would have been impossible without the excellent collaboration with Cru and the team behind our sea farm.
It's yet another example of how Solucious is doing everything it can to be the best possible partner of the catering industry. And we're happy to do so. Because these professionals' passion for their craft to give you and me unforgettable moments deserves praise and will surely make us feel those summer vibes again.
All this makes us very proud to be a food partner of the hospitality industry, together with Colruyt Group – Colruyt Professional, Solucious, Bio-Planet, etc. With the same passion as our hospitality customers, we'll also contribute to your summer happiness.
Final editing: Sara Van Cleemputte and Benoit Van Trimpont
Design: Veronique Devoghel
Photography: Cathy Vanleene
Picture editing: Joyce Vanhoutte
Publication manager: Stefanie Geeroms
Publisher: Colruyt Group NV • Edingensesteenweg 196, B-1500 Halle
Telephone: +32 (0)2 363 55 45 WO: 106575 Printed on FSC Mix Credit with
On the cover: Vanessa Dauwe, manager of Dreambaby Zaventem, is also moving with Dreambaby to Supra Bazar.
COLOPHON
All 256 workers and 27 stores taken over
Five questions about the sale of Dreambaby
Dreambaby is flying the Colruyt Group nest this summer to continue growing under the wings of non-food specialist Supra Bazar. Not an easy, but a necessary step to ensure a healthy and sustainable future as the absolute baby specialist in Belgium.
Why was it necessary to sell Dreambaby?
The baby products market is a very challenging market. With a revenue of about 60 million euros in the 2022/2023 financial year, Dreambaby is the market leader in Belgium. However, we noticed that it was becoming increasingly difficult to show the necessary flexibility and agility within the group, which is necessary to maintain this position and to operate cost-efficiently. As a company, we believe very strongly in the brand and in the future of Dreambaby, but under the wings of a player who has all the knowledge in the field of non-food and who also has the vision, drive and desire to grow the brand. This acquisition will allow Dreambaby to fully pursue its new direction as an SME.
Who is Supra Bazar, the new owner?
Supra Bazar is a Belgian family business and has been in the non-food sector for the last 60 years. It has 250 workers and five large stores with a floor area of 11,000 m² - mainly in West Flanders - where customers can buy home decoration, DIY and garden items, pet supplies, toys, etc. in different price categories. With baby corners in the stores and two baby stores called 'Kabine' at the coast, it also has experience in this sector. Supra Bazar has experience in how to operate a store network profitably and has expertise in an omnichannel approach, which will only help Dreambaby. These strengths provide an added value for Dreambaby. This acquisition fits into Supra Bazar's ambition to be more active on the Belgian baby gear market and to break into this market.
What does the agreement imply?
Colruyt Group is selling 100% of the Dreambaby shares to Supra Bazar. Apart from the 27 stores, it's also taking over all 256 workers. The Dreambaby name will continue to exist, the stores and the Dreambee brand will not disappear. Supra Bazar also guarantees that Dreambaby can continue in the direction outlined in its strategic plan as an agile organisation. Dreambaby will continue as an independent SME with its own management team, HR department and financial department for all stores. Where possible, a link with Colruyt Group will be maintained, for example through Xtra.
What are the consequences for the co-workers and customers?
Little changes for the Dreambaby co-workers. Everyone is staying on board, including the current management, and the way of working is not changing either. In fact, Supra Bazar will rent our location in Stroppen to allow the people at central services and the distribution centre to continue working at the same location. And the Colruyt Group colleagues working for Dreambaby - such as the IT or Quality Assurance department - will not be immediately impacted either. Nothing changes for Dreambaby customers either: the stores will remain open, all baby gift registries remain active and they can still count on the same service and craftsmanship from their trusted Dreambaby co-worker.
Is Dreambaby ready for this new step?
Dreambaby already took a fresh start last year after a reorganisation. Since then, the team has worked very hard on its own strategic plan that outlines a clear direction and aims to be profitable. Over the last months, it has been focused on a more flexible SME structure to be more agile in a challenging market. Those efforts can now continue and will bear even more fruit with Supra Bazar's support. In other words, Dreambaby's future is looking healthy and sustainable. 1 2 3 4 5
Text: Benoit
Van Trimpont
/
Photo: Cathy Vanleene
Three questions for Lissa Verbruggen, commercial developer at Collect&Go
Ordered today, at home tomorrow. What does this new Collect&Go service imply?
Lissa • “Customers in the Ghent area are able to order their fresh groceries online and have them delivered to their home or pick them up in refrigerated lockers the same day still. Collect&Go is the first retailer in Belgium to offer this service using refrigerated lockers. They can be found at Okay Heusden and Colruyt Group Academy in Melle and are permanently refrigerated at 4 °C to guarantee an optimal quality.”
How does it work?
“Customers who order before 13:00 on collectandgo.be can pick up their groceries in a refrigerated locker between 15:00 and 23:00 - in other words also outside store opening hours - or from 16:00 can have them delivered to their home by cargo bike. There's a choice of 1,200 products from national brands and private label brands from Okay's range. The focus is on vegetables, fruit, meat, fish and ready meals. The Okay co-workers also make sure your groceries are in the refrigerated lockers at the agreed time. Because we're dealing with mostly fresh groceries and the fact that they have to fit in a locker, we only accept orders between minimum 20 euros and maximum 100 euros.”
Why this test?
“The aim of this new service is to provide a solution for customers who want to order their fresh, occasional groceries online quickly and easily. Our goal is to give our customers the flexibility to do their shopping in a way and at a time that suits them best. Testing this service allows us to explore what our customers' needs are and how they want to get their occasional groceries.”
Convert 39 stores?
Give us eight weeks!
Quite a feat! This is the best way to describe the conversion of the stores taken over from Match and Smatch to Comarkt. In the space of eight weeks, 39 stores were reopened at an average rate of five per week. Christophe Dehandschutter, who has final responsibility for the project, clarifies: “This was the best way to ensure continuity for both customers and personnel. The week of the conversion was very intense: infrastructure works, cleaning, an IT network and new software system, filling shelves, etc. We also shifted up a gear logistically to supply the additional stores. This project required a lot of preparation of different departments: sales teams, human resources, Supply Chain, IT, Technics, Fine Food, marketing, etc. This unprecedented collaboration is what makes me most proud actually. Thank you for everything!"
85.92%
From our stores to the return centres… Colruyt Group is a strong supporter of recycling. Last year, we were able to recycle 85.92% of our residual streams, a record! For example, discarded Collect&Go boxes are recycled and as much material as possible is reused in renovations. We were also able to give 44.7% of our unsold products that were still fine for human or animal consumption, a new purpose.
Our mussels are back!
Summer time! Time for some delicious mussels. From Cru maybe? Because who kick-started the mussel season this year? You’re right: we! The Belgian mussels from our sea farm hit the market before the Zeeland mussels this year.
“A joint tasting moment on Friday 21 June preceded the launch,” says operational manager Stijn Van Hoestenberghe. “Cuit, the Cru eateries, opened their doors by way of exception for this culinary kickoff. And a handful of selected hospitality businesses were supplied through Solucious. Our Belgian mussels are top quality again this year: a firm texture and very juicy, smooth taste.” We expect a bigger harvest this year than last season. And in time we aim to scale up our sea farm with additional mussel lines.”
Collect&Go partners with foodie Pascale Naessens
Through culinary sites, including 15gram, Lekker van bij ons en Goestjes, Collect&Go has entered into partnerships before. This list is now being completed with a big name in the culinary world: Pascale Naessens, author of several successful recipe books. With a Collect&Go button next to the recipes on her website and renewed app, you can add the ingredients to your shopping list with just one click. Doesn't get any easier than that! What's more, other partners will be joining soon. Through these partnerships, Collect&Go offers a wide audience of cooking enthusiasts the chance to discover the convenience of our shopping service, while tapping into new customers.
Recipes custom-made for Jims
Jims, our chain of gyms, has launched its content platform with advice about keeping fit and nutrition. A short quiz tells you what exercise type you are. Do you want to gain more muscle mass, work on your stamina, optimise your health or lose weight? “After taking the quiz, you get access to a unique content platform with all the information you need to reach your goals," Head of Training Timothy Obbers explains. “The platform also redirects you to the Collect&Go website where you can select recipes tailored to your sports goals. We chose recipes that fit the four sports profiles. Each profile has different needs in terms of protein, calories, carbohydrates, etc. We also took into account vegetarians, intolerances and other preferences. This means everyone is catered for.” With the new initiative, Jims is following in the footsteps of Newpharma. Our online pharmacy launched Nutri-Test in March, giving you access to free nutritional supplement advice and personalised recipes that you can also add to your Collect&Go reservation.
Telex
• Exercising at Jims? As of now you and your family not only get a 30% discount on your annual membership, you don’t have to pay the 50 euro entry cost either.
• We're working on a new working environment to replace the portal and an accompanying search function. Co-workers chose a new name based on a poll. Result: the communication site will be CG Connect, the search application CG Search
• MyComfort24 aims to win the Webshop Award for the second year in a row. Last year it won the award with a customer satisfaction score of 9.4/10. Will you also vote on webshopawards.be?
• For the first time ever, the Collect&Go collection points at the coast will also be open on Sundays and public holidays from 8:30 to 12:30 during the summer months This was already the case for the Colruyt stores at the coast and in the Ardennes.
• Bio-Planet accepts ecovouchers as means of payment for both food and non-food items as of now.
• The Collishop unit at the Colruyt and Okay stores will be given a new use. Reserved parcels will be kept on the reservation cart in the transit area, ready to be picked up by a co-worker.
• The Collect&Go app is fully integrated in the Xtra app now. Download the last version of the Xtra app and discover all the advantages!
Seven stores that we took over from the Louis Delhaize group did not become Comarkts first, but were converted immediately to their final store format. Bio-Planet opened the first of these stores in Zottegem and Gembloux. “We managed to convert what used to be a Louis Delhaize in the space of five weeks,” Katrijn Claeys, store manager at Zottegem, says. "We reused the existing store fixtures as much as possible and succeeded in creating a true Bio-Planet store environment. It's something I'm very proud of!” The store teams are a good mix of experienced Bio-Planet co-workers and people from Louis Delhaize. Good luck, colleagues!
Ganshoren
Momignies
Dolembreux
Hooglede
Mersch
Schoten
Diksmuide
Andenne
Waremme
Anderlecht
Charleroi
Gavere
Oordegem Zottegem
Gembloux
Aalst
Marbais
Champagnole
Collect&Go chooses sustainable mobility
Electric fleet
Collect&Go is the first Belgian retailer to deliver orders using electric vehicles. Seven of the fleet of 17 CNG vehicles have now been replaced by electric vans. “In time we aim to go fully electric,” says Philippe Dekoninck, home delivery team manager at Collect&Go. “This is the reason behind the new charging plaza at our base in Londerzeel, with a capacity to charge 20 vehicles. And we also have fast chargers that can charge a van in 20 to 30 minutes.” The new vans have a volume of 12 m³ and can carry a 1,000 kg load, good for seven to nine orders per trip. That's more than the CNG vans. For now, the electric fleet will be deployed in Brussels, Antwerp and the area in between.”
Cargo bike
In Ghent, Collect&Go has made a brand-new electric cargo bike available to private drivers for free with a capacity to deliver up to 12 Collect&Go crates to people's doorstep. Business unit manager Tom De Prater: “Traffic jams are a barrier for potential drivers because you're stuck in your car. Tests with an electric cargo bike proved to be the key to success. We attracted more drivers, were able to retain them and, consequently, were able to deliver more groceries to people's homes.” The electric cargo bike is parked at the Collect&Go collection point at the Colruyt store in Ghent. It has a capacity of no less than 1,000 litre or 1 m³. With a maximum speed of 25 kph and a width of barely 90 cm the cargo bike is very manoeuvrable. And it's a great example of collaboration within our group, because Bike Republic provided the cargo bike and services it.
New machines in production and logistics
The Machinery service of the Technics department made a number of significant investments in new installations, which not only increase the capacity of our machines, but also raise productivity and reliability. For example, the packaging line for house-made spare ribs at Fine Food Meat was expanded. “Increasingly, demand at stores was for more complete racks of ribs instead of half racks,” says team manager Kevin Cornelis. “A test project showed that the production of complete racks was technically successful and sold well in test stores. The decision was made to install a complete packaging line. A new 800-litre kettle to make sauces and purees was also brought in. Newpharma also started using a new packaging line which automates several steps in the packaging process that were previously done manually, such as unfolding boxes, sealing and labelling. Considerably more efficient!”
Xtra on tour
This spring, Xtra launched promotion campaigns in the car parks of 20 Colruyt stores. The colleagues at Wilgenveld also received a visit. The promotional tour travelled across Belgium with a truck highlighting the benefits of the Xtra app. A team helped customers download the app and answered their questions. A successful initiative!”
The taste of authenticity
Cru launched a new branding campaign to raise its name recognition. With the new base line ‘The taste of authenticity', great pictures that showcase the products and a supporting website, Cru is targeting real gourmets and aims to raise its visibility among people with a love for genuine, high-quality products, who seek out extraordinary flavours and have respect for pure mastery.
Smart Cart well received
The smart cart we tested at the Colruyt store in Halle was well received by the people who tested it. Of the 100 co-workers who tested the cart, 92% said they would use the cart again because it saves time, has a handy shopping list and allows you to track your shopping on a screen. The concept of the self-developed cart still needs some work before we test it with real customers though. The innovative shopping cart is a first in Belgium: products are registered by scanning the barcode in the cart. Smart sensors and artificial intelligence check a correct registration and the weight of the products.
Experiment with vertical strawberry cultivation
In 2020, our Research & Development department studied the possibility of growing strawberries in a vertical farm. The first lab tests that focused on energy efficiency were conducted in cooperation with the Ghent University and KULeuven. A larger pilot plant in the Hellebroek distribution centre is the next step. The first plants should be planted in the summer of 2025. The aim of this project is not to replace strawberry cultivation of our Belgian growers, but to provide a sustainable supplement. Customers would then be able to eat delicious Belgian strawberries all year. Vertical cultivation of strawberries requires 90% less water and 35 to 50% less energy than traditional cultivation, mainly thanks to energy-efficient lighting and air conditioning. Vertical farming also reduces transport miles and imports, and the strawberries are grown without pesticides.
Non-profit organisation JINC Belgium sets up all kinds of initiatives to help young people find their way to work. Retail Partners Colruyt Group is happy to support this.
Youngsters are introduced to the labour market
“The values Colruyt Group stands for are closely aligned with ours,” Koen Van Roey, director of JINC Belgium, says. “Giving people opportunities and helping them grow? Yes, of course I'm interested in a partnership. When we expanded our operations from Antwerp to Mechelen, we quickly ended up at RPCG. Together we help students discover the labour market.”
“In the spring, we already organised a couple of 'flash internships' when groups of eight to ten pupils – aged between 11 and 14 – visit RPCG for half a day. Through fun and instructive hands-on assignments, they zoom in on three positions: quality assistant, store trainer and store co-worker. For example, they learn to work with the checkout system and carry out their own taste tests to assess the quality of products. By getting a taste of different jobs, young people can later make considered choices in the labour market. In addition, RPCG co-workers voluntarily give job interview training to 16 to 19 year-olds.”
“RPCG also took part in ‘Tomorrow's Boss’ on 30 May: this is a day when youngsters are able to talk to managers and work on a specific assignment. A unique experience!"
Text:
Lili
Vanden
Wijngaert
/
Photo:
Cathy Vanleene
“We want Belgian agriculture to still be around in 30 years”
Local anchoring and vertical integration. Prophetic words, but this is the path we've taken with Colruyt Group. “We really have to pursue this from a social awareness,” believes Gunther Uyttenhove, Director of Farming, Fine Food and responsible for the new Food Production pillar.
Local anchoring refers to choosing Belgian products and service where possible. Why do we find this so important?
Gunther • “Primarily because we're the only remaining Belgian retailer. It's our duty almost. Because if we disappear, Belgian agriculture will have an even harder time. It's important we let our agriculture flourish here, to keep the knowledge here, and that basic products continue to come from Belgian soil. In fact,
“In the field of local anchoring we do better than the other retailers in Belgium. Although we still have a way to go, especially in Wallonia” - Gunther
I think we should make more of an effort to grow new crops here. And I think consumers also find this important. And of course there's also the environmental aspect: the shorter the chain, the better. We already send 1,200 trucks onto the road every day, which could circumnavigate the earth five times a day.”
More specifically, how local are our agricultural products?
“We work with almost 6,000 Belgian farms. Anything we can
buy in Belgium is bought in Belgium. For fresh meat, milk and eggs, this is about 100%. About 87% of apples and pears and 75% of vegetables are Belgian. The other numbers relate to exotic types or products for which the Belgian season doesn't cover the whole year.”
These figures may lead you to believe we're pioneers in this.
“It is a fact that we do better than the other retailers in Belgium in this regard. Perhaps we should highlight our pioneering role in this more to consumers. The recent farmers' protests showed that we still have a way to go in terms of local anchoring, especially in Wallonia. The protein transition could be one way to help us bring about change. After all, the Walloon government has a plan in place to support that transition. That gives us opportunities to work more closely with farmers and the agri-food industry there.”
Why do we enter into partnerships with local growers for this local anchoring in agriculture?
“I'm a huge supporter of these partnerships. First of all, because they provide long-term guarantees. Agriculture is sensitive to weather conditions and natural elements: a harvest can be very good or very bad. This means you have to consider agricultural policies over several years. You'll only know if a particular crop is profitable after five to ten years. This means it's very important for farmers to know they're working with a reliable partner. The fact that they know they can sell their products means they're able to invest in
“It's important we let our agriculture flourish here, to keep the knowledge here, and that basic products continue to come from Belgian soil” - Gunther
new crops and more sustainable techniques, the effects of which are not immediately visible, but the benefits of which will be reaped later. Secondly, I'm convinced that through partnerships we take costs out of the chain, which benefits the farmer and our customers.”
And you want to continue down this path?
“Absolutely! I really think we need to pursue this from a social awareness. We have to think a few generations down the line and make sure that Belgian agriculture will still be around in 30 to 40 years. As well as crops and a location where we can grow our products. We already have to deal with impoverished land, for example. We need to make our agriculture more sustainable, for example through sustainable water management and measures that reduce climate impact, such as carbon farming and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Choosing local partners creates a win-win situation: they invest in further sustainability efforts and we offer them the guarantee of a strong group at their side, one that is willing to buy their products.”
In addition to local anchoring, we're also increasingly opting for vertical integration. Why?
“Fine Food is a good example of a vertically integrated organisation: we buy raw materials - locally where possible - and process them into the products we offer in our stores. 30% of our revenue comes from our own production. In fact, the production, and therefore the accompanying employment, is entirely in Belgium! That makes us reasonably unique. And
we're very proud of this. It means we have 100% confidence in our products: we have control over the quality, the processing, the traceability and the price. And at the same time, we maintain our craftsmanship and build a close relationship with our brands. We know how to be an added value for them.”
“ I'm convinced that through partnerships we can take costs out of the chain, return a financial benefit to farmers and produce at the lowest cost, which ultimately is good for our customers” - Gunther
Sometimes the chain starts before the processing at Fine Food. Just think of our sea farm or our own vineyards.
“Indeed. Our sea farm is a fantastic initiative and will finally produce 100% Belgian mussels. We're going to expand this in the coming years. And maybe we'll start producing other marine products, such as oysters or seaweed. Our vineyard is also a very nice example of full vertical integration: the Farming department grows its own grapes, does the vinification and, when the wine is ready, it's bottled at Fine Food in order to sell the wine in our stores. In fact, a whole
New Food Production pillar strengthens Fine Food and Farming
Our food production and farming activities are of great strategic importance to our group. This is why we invested heavily in infrastructure and craftsmanship in recent years. And we will keep doing that! To further strengthen these activities, we're bringing Fine Food and Farming together under the Food Production pillar.
“This is more than a merely organisational decision,” Gunther Uyttenhove comments. “Fine Food and Farming have many operational similarities. By aligning our plans better, we want to meet market needs even more efficiently and offer innovative and sustainable solutions for our store brands. And thus ultimately give our end customer a high-quality local product. For instance, Okay
chain is under construction. The expertise gathered in this way will draw local wine growers to us and boost local anchoring. It's also important to me that we develop such initiatives together with local people from the local farming community. And not by the big player Colruyt Group, posting its people there.”
“Our
production,
and therefore the accompanying employment, is entirely in Belgium. That makes us unique. And we're very proud of this!” - Gunther
It makes sense to produce, process, and sell products yourself?
“Yes, I'm convinced you can make a difference in this way. Fine Food and Farming's ambition is to create an offer for the Belgian market. Part of our revenue is already generated outside Colruyt Group, and we want to increase that.”
To do so we're going to have to focus more on product innovation.
“That's simply a fact! Take-overs are rife in the farming industry at the moment. By focusing on product development, we'll be able to offer products that others no longer have, making us even more interesting. Fine Food is now taking steps to step up its product development, not only in the context of the protein transition, but also for our core products, such as meat, even if it's only about cutting methods, flavour and flavour combinations, preparations, etc. We need to continue building on our craftsmanship, product knowledge and expertise.”
“Fine
Food and Farming need each other. Under the umbrella of Food Production they'll be able to align their plans better to each other” - Gunther
is currently developing a rustic bread based on sourdough. That's when it makes sense for Fine Food and Farming to think about working with Belgian grain, using our own land and our own raw materials, etc. In this way they strengthen each other, our co-workers, partners and internal customers!”
As a Fine Food person, how do you view the protein transition?
“I'm a massive proponent! Not only from an environmental conviction, because I think we're making huge strides in the production of animal proteins in that area. It's also important for a healthy and varied diet, provided it's natural protein. I want to stay out of the discussion between proponents and opponents of meat and the environmental impact, because that is a discussion without end. Yes, we work with livestock farmers and are pushing for plant-based alternatives to meat. We make it an and-and story. We work a lot around sustainability, and at the same time we want to enrich the assortment with a healthier offering.”
Goodbye Stroppen, long live Ollignies!
Finally! Since the end of May, no longer Stroppen, but the brand-new Hall 2 on the Ollignies site is the logistics centre for non-food items in our food stores. 22,000 m² in size, heavily automated and now fully operational. “We're extremely proud of this realisation,” beams Nele De Bisschop, until recently Head of the Supply Chain Non-food Department.
What are we using this new hall for?
“Ollignies Hall 2 is taking over all activities of the distribution centre at Stroppen. It will focus on taking delivery of, stocking and dispatching the non-food assortment range of Colruyt Lowest Prices, Okay, Bio-Planet and Colruyt Prix Qualité in France. This includes paper and stationery, cosmetics, textiles, serviettes, books, garden items, kitchenware and seasonal assortments for Halloween, carnival or Christmas and New Year, for example. First-class wines and washed work clothing for store co-workers also depart from here. In total, this involves some 11,000 different products. And part of the warehouse will be used to stock additional supplies.”
Why was a new hall necessary?
“The warehouse at Stroppen was built in the late seventies, which means it's pretty outdated. We also want to turn our locations along Bilkensveld into a production site. The Spreads and Meat department of Fine Food is already there, and Cheese will move there as well soon. Moreover, Stroppen was not a 'departure warehouse': in other words, our products are not sent directly from here to the stores. They go to a food distribution centre, from where we transport the goods together with the food products to the stores. Ollignies already has Hall 1, where beverages and high-rotation items such as toilet paper are processed. Moving all of our non-food there and bringing both activities together on the same site results in a more efficient and sustainable logistics operation.”
What's so special about this hall?
“Stroppen was partly automated, but this goes a lot further. Instead of an order picker that picks the products for each store, the products now arrive in blue crates via a spider web of conveyors to the co-workers at one of the twelve automated workstations (more on page 18, editor's note). The blue crates are now opened by a robot making the work more ergonomic and safer. The building is sustainable and energy-efficient, with daylight covers above the fixed workstations and LED lighting with automatic dimmers, among other things. And there's space for further expansion. For example, only 16 unloading docks are in use for now.”
Who will work in this hall?
“Ollignies Hall 2 has room for about 200 full-time jobs. Many colleagues who used to work at Stroppen also moved: most tasks are similar to what they used to do. For the people for whom a move was not straightforward, an alternative within the group was found. We also hired 38 additional FTEs. This means that with the nearby Ghislenghien site and the existing Hall 1 in Ollignies, this 50 million euros investment - in partnership with the Walloon Region - also boosts employment figures in this region.”
How do you look back on this project?
"It was an intense period. A whole team worked on this project for years. But it was also very instructive and fascinating. We postponed the start a couple of times to adequately align the systems. That was unfortunate, but necessary. Now that the site is fully operational, the satisfaction is great. We're very much looking forward to the end of September: the festive opening during a family day organised for all supply chain co-workers who contributed to this project!”
Keeping everything on track
Construction
“Ollignies is the new standard”
“The work of our Buildings Department started in February 2022 and was actually already finished on 4 September 2023, when we handed over the key,” Jan Eylenbosch, Real Estate project manager, proudly says. “The fact that we met the deadline and stayed nicely within budget has several reasons. For example, by sharing our 3D drawings in a VR environment with the relevant colleagues, we were already able to address possible issues. This was also cost-effective, because during the performance of the works there were very few adjustments. And during construction, the Ollignies site remained in use. Consultation and coordination were necessary to keep everything on track. Luckily, the zone for the automations was released before the deadline. Well done everyone! What else do I like about the building? Well, we collect all the water and reuse it for cooling by nebulising it. And don't forget the light catchers at the work stations. They're kind of like mirrors that reflect natural light. These are some of the reasons why I see Ollignies as the new
Automation
standard. And an incredible result which the 150 or more people who contributed to it in one way or another should be proud of.”
“Our productivity tripled”
“The whole blue crate line in Ollignies is automated,” project manager Laurens Van Hijfte-Ysebaert of Technics summarises. “The big difference is that articles now come to
the order pickers instead of the other way around. A stock crate rolls up to the picker and a light is shone on it. The store crate, in which the items are dropped, is also lit up. And a screen at the workstation visually shows the different steps. The transfer is still manual. In other words, the coworkers are still moving things, but in a more ergonomic way. The fact that we no longer have to move crates around ourselves also results in ergonomic benefits. These crates can weigh up to 15 kg and the pickers sometimes have to over-reach: this isn't a sustainable way of working, and resulted in injuries and lost time. But that was in the past! During the test phase, we made some minor adjustments to the workstations. Often simple solutions, which help to customise the work to Colruyt Group's needs. For that reason we also installed a new cardboard press, similar to how we worked at Stroppen. And, of course, things are much faster now: on three quarters of the floor area we used at Stroppen, the productivity of the picking process will triple! Sometimes figures say it all…”
Co-workers
“Great feat of collaboration with dynamic people”
“Moving a distribution centre with 200 co-workers takes some doing,” says team manager Paul Serbruyns. “We first informed our colleagues in the autumn of 2022. Some were looking forward to moving to Ollignies, for others the commute was too long. They were employed at other group sites. The big difference for the co-workers is the automation. At Stroppen most co-workers were somewhat familiar with automation, but the automation at Ollignies is on a completely different scale. Co-workers were very enthusiastic about this modernisation: they're particularly happy they'll no longer be putting crates in the system. This means two to three hours of strenuous work less every evening! The necessary forklift and Terberg training courses will be provided. And with the Location Management and Administration/Packaging teams we already moved 4,500 pallets in September last year. This was a great feat of collaboration because our teams managed to condense two weeks of work into one week. As you can tell, we were not sitting idle, but that's quite normal when you move, isn't? (laughs)”
“What a joy working here”
“The move was a massive change for everyone,” says Automation Manager Patrice Bruneel (on the right). “But we're very happy with the new building. The weeks when we had to move all the stock and all the equipment from one location to the other were very busy. But despite a couple of storage problems, the move went smoothly. After several successful tests of the NORA system, which automates the order preparation process, and an adjustment period to the new location - especially for the forklift drivers, who had to get used to the new site - we're now fully operational.”
“It's a joy working in a brand-new building,” receptionist Mustapha Abik (on the left) says. “Stroppen was getting too old. This building is designed for a maximum incidence of natural light. It's so much more pleasant to work in. And because the open loading platforms are separate from the rest of the warehouse, no cold or heat enters and the temperature is very pleasant. A massive change!
The only thing we're missing from Stroppen are the colleagues who didn't move with us because they live too far from Ollignies.”
Text:
Wim Naeyaert & Laura
Vanneste /
Photo: Katleen Van Den Eede
Belgian first for our vineyard
At our vineyard in Frasnes-lez-Anvaing, we tested a very special work force this spring: a fully electric, self-driving, smart tractor. It cuts the grass between the narrow corridors of the vines on the slope, and can also perform other tasks. “We want to help Colruyt Group find sustainable and innovative agricultural solutions,” Eef Wilgenhof, project manager at Smart Farming, explains. “We believe there's great potential for zero-emission solutions, resulting in savings on diesel and less CO2 emissions, in addition to helping farmers work more efficiently. And the data collected through the cameras on the tractor also provide useful insights. We want to give this innovation every opportunity.”
Photo: Katleen Van Den Eede
Diversity and inclusion when hiring
Age, origin, gender, etc. Colruyt Group doesn't discriminate. Everyone is given a fair chance to work for us. Paulien Fleurbaey, in charge of selection, explains how we're also a diverse and inclusive company in terms of selection procedures.
First, Paulien: why do we find this so important?
Paulien • “We've always been a people-oriented, value-driven organisation. Respect and togetherness are keywords that have always been part of Colruyt. Even before diversity and inclusion became a hot topic in the outside world, they were already ingrained in our culture. Not only in the selection of new coworkers, but in all sections of Colruyt Group.”
How do you commit to diversity and inclusion?
“Every day, all colleagues in Recruitment, Selection and Orientation work hard to promote equal opportunities for everyone. We also work with organisations that help people from varied backgrounds. We want to give opportunities to candidates for whom our traditional recruitment process is a barrier, for example due to the language or lack of work experience in Belgium. An alternative selection process can
That's the number of Dutch-language training courses you can choose from at Colruyt Group as of September. Including some new personal growth courses. Enneamove, for example, which connects the Enneagram to exercise. Or ‘Know your inner gods and goddesses’, where, using the method of the ancient Greeks, you go in search of who you really are and actually always were. The new Learning & Development training catalogue is available online on our portal, or in your superior's office. The full offer can also be found in the Academy.Store of course.
Thank you, blood donor!
On 14 June, on World Blood Donor Day, we honoured and thanked all blood donors. And rightly so, because by giving blood you save and improve lives. The demand for blood remains high and that's why we organise two blood drives a year. In other words, many of you have earned this thank you. At the latest blood drive in May, 135 donors – which included 38 new donors – together donated 67 litres of blood. Our next blood drive is on Thursday, 1 August at Wilgenveld. We hope to welcome you (back) there!
Together, we contribute to improve everyone's health, step by step.
still result in success stories. We're also testing smaller initiatives, such as software that checks our vacancy texts on neutral and accessible language, adding part-time work to the vacancies to make them accessible to everyone, etc. Because that's what we want to achieve: not exclude anyone, give everyone who meets the conditions the same opportunities.”
What are the results?
“These initiatives are starting to bear fruit, but we still have to be patient. Yet there are enough figures that support our efforts: Colruyt Group now employs 94 nationalities, the 60/40 malefemale ratio is in line with other retailers, etc. Of course, there's always room for improvement. The biggest challenge lies in the central services, for example in the field of employment of non-native speakers.”
Together, we contribute to a better society, step by step.
Do you know any new, young potential co-workers?
The summer holidays are just around the corner. In other words, a lot of youngsters are graduating, including young talents we would love to bring on board. “Yet many young people are unaware of the many different job opportunities our diverse company has to offer,” says recruitment coordinator Marie Swalus “That is why it's important all Colruyt co-workers take up their role of ambassador and convince recent graduates about the virtues of our company. We welcome them with open arms and invite them to become part of the Young Grads, a community for our youngest co-workers.”
Young lions…
Every holiday, weekend or even an ordinary working week, thousands of student workers helps us: in the stores, distribution centres, at Fine Food and central services. These enthusiastic young people can't wait to develop their talents... and earn some money, of course.
…rearing to go
Corwin Somers (16)
Store co-worker
“The money I make at the Colruyt store in Halle pays for my 'nightlife'. I ended up at the store through my dad who also works at Colruyt Group. I'm currently studying information technology in the fifth year of secondary school. I'm fascinated by artificial intelligence. AI makes everything easier. All you have to do is look at the new checkouts with intelligent cameras. When I graduate, I also want to work with AI. I might even end up working at Colruyt Group! It's a great company to work for. After my training I was given a lot of freedom from the start, and that's motivating. The atmosphere is great here. My colleagues are always on hand when I have a question, and yes: we also have a good laugh at times.”
Imka Samyn (23)
Supply Chain
“In 2019, I started at Supply Chain, at the Dassenveld site. I ended up at Dassenveld through my dad who is one of the heads there. My job in the beginning was picking products in the refrigerated section. The past year I was given more responsibilities when I asked my head for some more variation in my job. I started filling carts, unloading refrigerated carts from the trucks and making sure the cold chain is not broken. ‘Injecting’ with liquid ice sounds complicated, but my colleagues helped me and now it's a piece of cake. Sometimes you simply need to have more trust in yourself. And it will all come together!”
Robin Peltier (19)
Fine Food Coffee
“I've worked as a student worker at the coffee-roasting department of Ghislenghien for the last three years. I help with the different types of coffee packing and prepare them for transport. I get on well with my colleagues and can handle getting up early. And yes, it pays well! And that's important because I don't have cheap hobbies. (laughs) I'm a member of a number of groups that organise giant processions like the one in Ath, and I like to go to festivals such as Tomorrowland. Would I like to come work for Colruyt Group? Absolutely! But in a technical position. I'm in my final year and I'm following electricity and automation. Mechanics are my thing.”
Yana De Clerck (16) Facility Services
“The thing I had to get used to the most when I started working with the cleaning shift at Hellebroek Office during the spring break? Getting up so early! I had to get up at 5:30 and an hour later I was already working. Emptying and replacing rubbish bags, cleaning desks, cleaning toilets, etc. It's a lot of work! Fortunately I get on well with my colleagues. They're all very sociable and interested in me. That makes it fun!" This is my first student job ever. I'm following 'Child care and support' at secondary school because I want to work with children later. At the moment I'm saving up to buy a car. Next year I can already do my theoretical driving test. I'm really looking forward to that!”
“I'm studying retail management and my student job at Recruiting, Selection & Orientation fits in well with that. My training focuses strongly on people skills which I need here too. I do a lot of telephone screenings of potential workers. Not only the candidates need to be able to sell themselves. We also have to interest them in coming to work for Colruyt Group. That's a huge responsibility they've given me! Yet that's the great thing about working at Colruyt Group: the autonomy you get. I can choose myself what I do and when. I get a lot of trust, but at the same time there's always someone on hand to help me if necessary.”
Kiana Verstraete (18) Colruyt Group Technics
“I'd already worked as a student worker at Okay Lennik for two years, but for my internship at school I wanted to work at Colruyt Group's offices. I ended up in the Technics VAK team to help support the Technical School. The internship was so good that I stayed on as a student worker. The atmosphere there is so positive. From day one you feel you've always been part of the team. And that's great for someone like me, because I always get very nervous. It's boosted my selfconfidence and made me more sociable. And this is essential, because next year I'll be studying business management, business and marketing at college.”
Text: Jesse Van Pee
/
Photo: Frank Pieters & Katleen Van Den Eede
Our profession • Ready for festivals and youth camps
From store to field,
Anyone who says summer, says festivals. And youth camps. To be more appealing to younger generations, Colruyt, Collect&Go and Solucious are launching several eye-catching initiatives. From a festival route in the store to an exclusive ‘hat’.
The importance of festivals
“Reaching a younger target group is proving to be more difficult than we thought,” says Sofie Meremans, marketer at Colruyt (on the right) “Festivals are a great way to get in touch with them in an original way. Last summer Colruyt Zonhoven rode the sound waves of the Pukkelpop festival around the corner. Customers were able to follow a route in the store that took them from one festival favourite to the next: sandwiches for an easy breakfast, crisps when you get the munchies, energy drinks to pick you up, etc. Posters, extra cooling stands and eye-catching shelf heads at the aisle entrances led the way. And influencer Average Rob (on the left) was working at the checkout to promote his Tout Bien Pils.”
corner.
Better experience
Last year was the first time Colruyt pulled out all the stops for a festival.
Get into the festival groove
All stores organising festival campaigns are listed on colruyt.be
“The turnover at Colruyt Zonhoven was 25% higher that week,” Sofie reveals. “What better reason do nearby stores need to capitalise on a festival. And using the marketing material more often is not only time- and cost-efficient, it also creates more recognition than individual initiatives. Depending on the store's potential – e.g. the distance from the campsite – we'll launch extra initiatives. Sometimes suppliers provide extra animation on the parking: DJs, tastings, free gadgets, etc. Or free transport to the camping site by Bike Republic cargo bike if you spend more than 75 euros. More animation in and around the stores in other words.”
Graspop Metal Meeting
Colruyt Mol and Balen
Rock Herk Colruyt Diest
Esperanzah Colruyt Salzinnes
Rock Werchter
Colruyt Haacht, Keerbergen and Leuven
Dour Festival
Colruyt Dour
and back
From energy drink to condoms
“The day the campsite opens traditionally brings in most extra customers,” Sofie says. “But we want them to come back to our store during the festival as well. This is why our Colruyt Zonhoven colleagues are organising a tasting session in the store on Saturday. An ideal way to get more people in the store if you ask me! This year we're not only putting the typical festival products in the spotlight but also healthier alternatives such as fruit and non-alcoholic drinks. And essential things, such as sun tan lotion and, yes indeed, condoms.”
“The festival approach at Colruyt Zonhoven last year was a success, with 25% more turnover! That's why we've chosen to expand this initiative” - Sofie
Teamwork
Various departments joined forces to coordinate this festival approach. Sofie: “The sales team helped select the ‘festival stores’ and through our purchasers we worked out campaigns with suppliers. And our communication department created all the marketing material. A collaboration we can be proud of!”
Hats off!
Colruyt, Collect&Go and Solucious are joining forces again this summer by launching a camp campaign* with free bucket camp hats. “The trendy bucket hat targets the younger generation, our customers of tomorrow,” B2B marketer Charlotte Vanhumbeeck explains. “The hat is a thank you to everyone who volunteers to turn it into a great camp: hats off for doing mountains of washing up, for making loads of great food, for entertaining all those kids, or for turning the place upside down! We hope they'll be as big a success as the camp socks were last yearfor which we still get requests!”
Festival Dranouter
Colruyt Ypres
Ronquières Festival
Colruyt Nivelles
August
Lokerse Feesten
Colruyt Lokeren
Antillaanse Feesten
Colruyt Hoogstraten
Pukkelpop
Colruyt Zonhoven and Hasselt
Text: Sara Van Cleemputte
“We're specifically targeting sports and youth associations. Practically every year there are new leaders, which means we need to reach out to them every time. This year we're highlighting use of the Professionals Plus card. This gives us an insight into their purchasing behaviour and allows us to stay in contact and maybe we'll be top of mind when they organise a food festival.”
*Colruyt and Collect&Go gives youth and sports associations five hats for every 250 euros spent. Solucious will give away five hats with – free – deliveries from 500 euros, per week and per customer number. Until stocks last.
Order, rest and space
Of course we want to create an environment that all co-workers want to work in. That's why all social areas in the Colruyt stores will be revamped. Project manager Jurgen Esschentier shows us around Colruyt Roeselare.
Canteen + conference room team
“To create some rest in this space, workrelated items have been removed. It's primarily a canteen but can also be used for team meetings. That's why enough chairs and an IT system, such as a screen and HDMI cable, have been provided.”
Hallway with toilet
Canteen + kitchen
“Customers can still ask to go to the toilet, but no longer have free access to the toilets and social areas. This is safer and cleaner for our store co-workers.”
“Yes, of course this kitchen is meant to prepare food in. Co-workers can keep, and heat up, food and drinks. A recycling zone for PMD (plastic bottles and flasks, metal packaging and drink cartons), residual waste and paper and a tray to show and offer tasters will also be provided. This has to be a place where colleagues meet, exchange ideas and forge friendships thanks to the simple, pleasant and comfortable layout with little islands, tables, chairs, benches, mural photos, a magnetic board, etc.”
Changing rooms
“The two changing rooms will be organised more efficiently with a couch, lockers with six compartments and a shoe cupboard. There will also be a linen cupboard for clean work clothing and a collector for the dirty laundry. For student workers a separate storage unit will be provided with lockers for clothing, a shelf for shoes and hangers for coats.”
Workstation space
“The workstations in the store manager's office, the POarea and the canteen will be grouped here. The goal is four workstations with desk and chair, separated by acoustic walls. They follow the clean desk principle, whereby every user clears the workstation after use. In this way we avoid a messy office with piles of paper and equipment.”
Facility corner
“This is where all equipment is centralised, so that it no longer has to be stored in a different room. You'll find the office supplies and post cabinet here, and a printer area if there's sufficient space. The magnetic board will only be used for strictly necessary info.”
Why?
“An assessment has shown
that Colruyt stores' social areas have not evolved with the social changes and needs of our co-workers,” says Jurgen. “Today they offer little rest and space is sometimes limited. As a result, there's not always enough room to store equipment, which then ends up in other areas or relaxation areas such as the canteen. We're going to do something about this: 21 stores will be adapted this year still.”
Individual conference room
“The store manager's office is evolving to a quiet conference room for maximum four people with a screen and infrastructure for video conferencing, but no workstation, magnetic boards or filing cabinet.”
Towards a digital workplace
Have you noticed? The digitisation of our workplace is gaining momentum. As Data and Analytics Officer, Ruben Missinne is supervising the transition to a digital workplace: “The goal is to keep everyone on board in this digital wave and strengthen the digital craftsmanship of all our co-workers.”
Contribute to the bigger picture
“Colruyt Group needs everyone to achieve its strategy. This means we need to create the best possible work context, which is increasingly digital, for all our co-workers. In other words, it makes sense to pay extra attention to this. Not only do we want to stay with the times, we want to get ahead. Fortunately, we're a big company and can make the necessary investments in terms of equipment, training and technologies. Every day we see what we need. We also work with big technology players, which gives us a good base to start from. We also continue to make considered choices to ensure every co-worker's craftsmanship is increased. This inclusive story is based on our company's values. And it's something I'm pretty proud of. Today we want to encourage all our co-workers to hone their digital competences and embrace technologies such as generative artificial intelligence. At the same time, we're strengthening our mindset to turn Colruyt Group into a data-driven company. We're collecting and working with more and more data which
Degreed
“A depository for all our training courses”
“You should think of Degreed as the best place to learn,” says Jan Rypers of the Co-worker VAK centre. “It's actually the depository for all our internal and external training courses. The visual structure we created allows people to easily find their way to the right knowledge, which used to be very fragmented. Do you want to know more about innovation? Degreed has a page with all relevant courses and other instruction materials. In this way you work on your skills. Based on these skills and interests, as well as what your immediate colleagues recommend, you receive a personalised offer. This digital way of learning also provides us with valuable insights into the learning needs, e.g. by drawing reports from searches. This is very instructive for us as well because it allows us to align our offer to this. Nowadays, there are a lot of AI searches, for example: we can make sure there's sufficient instruction materials for this.”
You can find Degreed on our portal under ‘Me in the organisation’ in the ‘Training & education’ application.
allows us to improve processes or make them more efficient. As I already mentioned: every co-worker adds to the bigger picture.”
Focusing on the craftsmanship of all co-workers
“Follow-up system for requests of IT material and for services”
“ServiceNow is a workflow system for all IT material and service requests. This tool allows easy follow-up in terms of who made the request and who handles the request,” Service, Process & Operations domain administrator Johan Borghys summarises. “It's similar to the track & trace service of a web shop. For example, if a new colleague starts in the distribution centre today, you can very easily follow up the request for a contract, a badge, safety boots or training to be followed. The major advantage of digitising: nothing is lost, we know the status of every request. It's much faster of course, more transparent and we can set priorities better. If you know that we receive about 44,000 interim requests every year - usually in a couple of peaks - we can organise ourselves more easily with ServiceNow. We can also measure everything, see where the delays are and see how our service can be even better or more cost-efficient towards the future.”
ServiceNow is available on our portal under ‘Me in the organisation’ in the ‘Service requests’ app.
“The inclusion I spoke about earlier is not an empty promise: simply dropping tools on our co-workers without support is not the plan. We're ambitious, but we'll see how we can grow step by step in the coming years and want to make all our colleagues proud of our efforts by looking across the board at what the expectations and needs are. Store co-worker, purchaser, data analyst or director: everyone is evolving towards a more digital workplace. For example, I remember the success of the
“We make considered choices to ensure the craftsmanship of every worker increases. This inclusive story is based on our company's values. And it's something I'm very proud of!” - Ruben
E-lympics, the short digital modules to increase every office co-worker's basic knowledge about, say, the importance of data security. That's a great example of how we can teach digital
craftsmanship in an easily accessible way. And when our people grow, our company grows.”
Many initiatives, one goal
“A list of concrete initiatives? Here we go: the Degreed learning platform, the switch from Skype to Teams under 2Connect, the ServiceNow workflow system, our campaign to launch Copilot as an AI assistant without making our data available to everyone, the Data Strategy, etc. I can already tell you that many digital initiatives will be launched in the next few years to make our workplace more efficient. All these initiatives will be communicated under the heading ‘Digital’ which will be recognisable by the blue stamp. You can expect a lot more in the coming months!”
Working at + and -30 °C
Summer heralds the hottest working days of the year for electrician
Fabrice De Clerck (Technics). In all weathers – and heat waves –he works on the roofs of our buildings. Whereas order picker
Mohammed Aissaoui puts on ski clothing when he enters the frozen food department of Dassenveld. How do they handle these extreme temperatures?
What does your job entail?
Fabrice • “Our department is responsible for the maintenance and repairs of the group's solar panels, including the inverters. Sometimes they're inside and our schedule is adjusted - if possible - to the weather. But for solar panel maintenance, we have to get up on the roof, of course.”
Mohammed • “A lot is already automated in our frozen food department. The machines prepare about 45,000 products a day. When it's busy we help out, but we're mainly there to make sure the machines are working properly. In case of a glitch, I'll check what's wrong and call in a technician if necessary.”
In what extreme temperature do you work?
Mohammed • “-27 °C! Cold, right? (laughs)”
Fabrice • “Then I must be the lucky one! In the winter, we also work outside in freezing temperatures, but compared to those deep-freezer temperatures, it's not too bad. In summer it's a different story. Even during heat waves we get on the roof. And black roofing makes it extra hot. It's so hot your footsteps melt into the roof.”
How many bottles of sun tan lotion do you use in a year?
Fabrice • “If I remember I'll apply it, but sometimes I forget. You get so used to the conditions it kind of becomes second nature. But you have to be able to handle a bit of sun. Otherwise you're better off finding another job. (laughs)”
Mohammed • “The same goes for the freezer. It takes some getting used to, but it's definitely not for everyone.”
-27 °C, how can you ever get used to that?
Mohammed • “I'm never cold when I'm working actually. Every 1 hour and 20 minutes, we get a tenminute break in a separate room to warm up. This is a legal obligation for our safety.”
What else can you do against the cold?
Fabrice • “Work faster? (laughs)”
Mohammed • “Maybe. (laughs) But we're not allowed to run, for health and safety reasons.”
Fabrice • “That makes sense... We're not allowed on the roof in icy conditions either.”
Mohammed • “We do wear special clothing to stay warm: warm boots, properly insulating ski trousers, a balaclava, etc.”
Fabrice • “Unfortunately, we're not allowed to wear shorts in the summer. And our black T-shirt doesn't really help much against the sun either. (laughs)”
How can you stay cool on a hot working day?
Fabrice • “Mostly, by drinking a lot of water. And when we're working at a store, the store co-workers sometimes give us ice creams.”
Mohammed • “And guess where they came from! (laughs) On hot summer days we also have to be very careful. On our way home that is. A difference in temperature of almost 60 °C is quite a shock to the system. Your body needs time to adjust. I immediately get very tired when it's hot.”
And finally, what's your favourite holiday destination: the cold north or the hot south?
Mohammed • “I use my holidays to absorb vitamin D!”
Fabrice • “I like to go to the sun. Give me a hot destination any time.”
“Even during heat waves we get on the roof. Your footsteps melt into the roof” - Fabrice
“When we go home on a hot summer's day, your body needs time to adjust. A difference in temperature of almost 60 °C is quite a shock to the system” - Mohammed
Ready for the future
How are we preparing our Fine Food production departments for the future? With a new organisation model and leadership programme, among others. Rudi Willemans, division manager at Cheese, Coffee, Wine and Spreads, tells us the impact this has on the co-workers. Our
High-performance production company
“Fine Food originated, among other things, from logistics services and various food production activities that we established or acquired over the years,” Rudi explains. “And as a result of this there was a lot of micro-management going on. Anyway, we recently evaluated what we needed to be a high-performance production company - also in the future. We decided to change our organisation, with suitable roles and responsibilities.”
New roles, other expectations
“Where leadership used to concern managers and heads of department, division managers and directors, now it's about team leaders, production managers, supply chain managers, plant managers and division managers. The new roles were given a specific interpretation that doesn't correspond oneto-one with the duties of a manager in the past. For instance,
FFOX: a overarching programme
The new leadership programme at Fine Food is part of the FFOX programme, short for ‘Fine Food Operational Excellence’. The aim is to make our production departments future-proof. Rudi: “One of the aims of the leadership programme for team leaders is to make sure we're a strong organisation, with the right person in the right place to prepare us for process and IT system improvements over the next two years.” Ultimately, the programme is for our customers. It has to contribute to a better service and more satisfaction.
“I learned a lot”
as division manager my focus used to be on the plants themselves. Now it's more about sales and product management, knowing what products the market demands, what we should specialise in, how we can set ourselves apart, and how we can produce more. And a plant manager is now also end-to-end-manager for quality, planning and technique. In short, the focus of a role often changed or was expanded. And that means you need a different approach. That you need other knowledge or extra soft skills.”
“Because expectations are different now, everyone's considered a newbie, and we want to provide guidance and support to them as well in their next step” - Rudi
Everyone's a newbie
“Because expectations are different now, everyone's considered a newbie, and we want to provide guidance and support to them as well in their next step. The new leadership programme for team leaders is a tool in this. Most colleagues started at the end of last year. The courses are practice-oriented in small groups of about eight team leaders. In addition to the topics covered, I'm convinced that they can learn a lot from each other. They learn from colleagues in a similar situation and build a network. However, growing into a new role requires experience - and thus time of course. Practice makes perfect!”
Are you interested in being a team leader? Register on our internal jobsite hr.colruytgroup.com with your portal login. Go to ‘Careers’ and ‘All job vacancies’ and filter on the left on ‘Colruyt Group Fine Food’. Good luck!
“I could never have expected I would learn so much,” says Ousseini Boureima Issa, team leader at Fine Food Cheese. “Like, how best to communicate with others for example. Or about people management, because I knew very little about this. This programme helps me find my way in this. For example, it's important to pay attention to your co-workers: their job satisfaction and well-being at work. As a team leader I think this is essential.”
“Handholds and support to grow are great”
“I've been team leader at Fine Food Wine since October,” says Mickael Degauquier, Fine Food Wine team leader. “Fortunately, this process gives me some handholds and support to grow. I'm well surrounded by instructors, my superiors, but also by other colleagues. And that really helps. Now I feel comfortable doing what I do. Every month I get two to three hours of training. Meanwhile I've completed about half of all the modules and every subject was relevant. Whether it's about health and safety at work, clock-in rules or how best to handle absent colleagues. Some sessions are more theoretical, e.g. about whom to contact in case of serious problems. Others are very practical. The module about personal talks, for instance, was very interactive and we were able to practise it. We were able to put our own problems on the table. Very useful!”
Three hidden gems
Not all our company's activities are widely known. Do Deals!, Tweeco and Colex not ring a bell? Allow us to present them to you.
• Since 2021
• In 2023 was Deals! was good for - 1 million website visits - 49% discount on average - 225,000 rolls of toilet paper sold - 1.5 million of nappies sold
Deals!
What?
An online promo platform with great promotions – up to -70%! – on a changing range of A-branded products. 84 roles of Scottex toilet paper, for example.
Where?
Shopping and paying is on deals.collectandgo.be. Everything is delivered to your doorstep.
Why?
We've noticed that consumers increasingly look for the best deals online for certain (household) items. Deals! is a Belgian and high-quality answer to the online promotional aggression of foreign players such as Bol, Amazon and Veepee. And our standard formats are not addressing this yet.
For whom?
Especially popular with promo hunters.
How?
Our purchasers look for interesting overstocks at our suppliers: end of series, new packaging, product variants that are normally only sold abroad, etc. Due to limited availability, you won't find these products in your Colruyt store, for example. Great deals in other words!
Ambitions?
“In the short term, our main aim is to expand our offer,” says Jean-Charles Verhaeghe, Deals! manager. “With apart from near-food – now mostly household articles – also food and non-food with long shelf lives. Always in bulk, of course. We want to boost our name recognition and make sure that not only die-hard promo hunters, but other online consumers looking for a good deal, get to know Deals!. Our first tests with pasta and coffee have been successful.”
• Since 2007
• Tweeco receives about five trailers of material every week.
• More information in doc554.987
What?
Our store with non-food products: from second-hand chairs, tables, cupboards and refrigerators to overstock kitchen and school supplies, as well as soap and socks.
Where?
Ferdinand Uylenbroeckstraat 4, Sint-Pieters-Leeuw (‘Brukom’).
Why?
We give material we can no longer use a second life. That's good for the planet and our bank account!
For whom?
Private persons and wholesale buyers (e.g. for big machines and larger quantities).
Colex
What?
Colex stands for ‘Colruyt Export’ and delivers private label products all over the world (among others Everyday and Boni).
Where?
Colex does a lot of business in Central and West Africa, particularly the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Why?
When a Congolese customer in Belgium wanted to buy several pallets of our products, a manager saw the potential. And the rest is history. Africa's growing population makes it an interesting market.
For whom?
Distributors, wholesalers and supermarkets.
How?
Colex ships most of its products from Belgium, using its own stock and Colruyt's. Some products are only produced for the foreign market, such as a smaller Everyday cornflakes box. Colex also supports foreign projects, such as the production and local sale of Everyday chocolate in Congo. Everyday and
How?
The products come from everywhere: our production and distribution centres, central services and stores. In case of overstock or a renovation, for example. First we see what we can still use ourselves. Chairs and store shelves often find a new home after a lick of paint. If not, we'll sell the material on Tweeco. The price depends on age, quality, condition, etc. In case of an overstock often with a 50% discount. Anything we don't sell goes to charity, the very last option is waste disposal.
Ambitions?
“We're also selling more and more bicycles,” says Bernard Surdiacourt, manager of Tweeco. “Even electric bikes! This makes us a worthy successor for Dreamland's popular toy assortment.”
• Since 1985
• Top
20Everydayproduct:tissuescontainers/month to Congo
Boni are so popular in Africa that 'Nextday' products regularly appear or packaging that is suspiciously similar. In other words, Colex has to combat counterfeiters every day.
Ambitions?
“We want to broaden our market,” says head of department Jürgen Sorton. “Mainly across the entire African continent, but soon we'll also be selling in India. With the support of our colleagues in Haiderabad who will organise tasting sessions there, among other things. The best ambassadors!”
Text: Sara Van Cleemputte /
Photo: Anja Magdaleens & Cathy Vanleene Tweeco
Maintenance and repair of 9,000 machines
± 9,000. That's the number of forklifts, order-picking trucks, cleaning machines and manual pallet jacks driving around at Colruyt Group. And need servicing. That's the job of Gerd Vanderstappen and his colleagues from the Handling Equipment Department at Technics.
“Our department is spread over several sites: Hellebroek, Ghislenghien, Ollignies, Mechelen, etc. I myself work in Laekebeek. Our job? Maintenance, repairs, and quick fixes if necessary. As maintenance technician I work mostly from our workshop. A maintenance schedule tells us when a machine is due for servicing. This depends on the machine, how often it's used and the working environment. Forklift trucks need servicing every six months, manual pallet jacks every 12 to 15 months. Good maintenance increases their life and results in fewer breakdowns. Forklift trucks used to be replaced after 10,000 working hours, now after 15,000 hours.”
“The variation in machines adds to the fun. My preference? The big ones! Some trucks weigh nearly 2,000 kg battery
included, forklifts even more. Repairs and maintenance on these monsters can take up to a full working day. The work is a little rougher, and you need bigger tools. And you learn a lot by finding a way to fix a defect. Every day we use big and small tools, oil, grease, etc. And we also have a lot of wheel sizes here: they often need replacing. The height adjustable bridge, work surface at working height and strong cables to lift heavy equipment or materials help us to work ergonomically.”
“It gives me great satisfaction to return a machine in perfect working order to the workstation. And I work with fantastic colleagues who are always prepared to help out. And have time for jokes… (laughs)”
From the Dominican Republic to Ghislenghien
From childhood friends to longdistance relationship
“In 2006 I met my wife online. Despite the distance – more than 7,000 kilometres! – we always remained friends. After nine years, our friendship turned into a relationship. We met for the first time in real life in 2016, when my now wife came to the Dominican Republic for three weeks. Our relationship didn't follow a traditional path, and for her family it took some getting used to, but it didn't take long before they gave us their full support. Especially when I visited Belgium a year later and asked her to marry me!
In 2018 we got married in the Dominican Republic and in 2019 I moved to Belgium to build our life here.
Culture shock
“It was hard in the beginning because I missed my family of course and I didn't speak the language. I focused on learning Dutch. It's not easy, but I keep trying! It has been good for my social integration and allowed me to make friends. The culture here is different though: in the Dominican Republic you simply drop in on friends, here you need to make an appointment to see someone in a month. (laughs) I love Belgium's multicultural environment: I've met lots of different nationalities here. And the delicious food here also helps me when I miss the Dominican Republic. The last time
With more than 90 nationalities, Colruyt Group is a friendly melting pot of cultures. Jairo De Leon, order picker at our distribution centre in Ghislenghien, came to Belgium because he found love. And it's not the only thing he started to love: “Tuna salad, preparé, etc. So good.”
I visited the Dominican Republic was in 2022. My grandmother died shortly afterwards. It's never going to be easy not living in the same country as my family, but at times like that you really feel the distance.”
From airport to distribution centre
“I used to work in the airport of Punta Cana, a beautiful city along the eastern coast. As ground service coordinator, I had to ensure planes were able to take off safely. It was a fun job! Doing a similar job here is not going to be possible because I live too far from Zaventem or Charleroi. Fortunately, I'm very happy at Colruyt Group. I like the work climate here. I'm up for taking more responsibility in the future, for example forklift training.”
Knowledge weighs nothing
“Now that I work across the language border, I'd like to improve my French. It's important to me to keep working on myself, to keep growing little by little. El saber no pesa, we says in Spanish: knowledge weighs nothing. But now my focus is on my family: my daughter was born in April and my family is visiting from the Dominican Republic this summer to meet her. Really looking forward to it!”
Text: Lili Vanden Wijngaert /
Photo: Cathy Vanleene
“My main goal is to share the joy of exercising together. The fun factor is important in all my work-outs” - Silke
Shared workout joy
“Exercise is fun,” says Silke Segers enthusiastically. “And I like to share this with other people!” The IT business architect wants to motivate other colleagues to exercise as well. That's why she became a personal trainer at Jims and organises boot camps at Wilgenveld during lunch breaks. Outside of work she's also a driven body coach and gives nutritional advice.
From exercise freak…
“People who know me know I can't sit still. As a teenager I did athletics for years. Whether I feel at home in IT? For sure! I love the mental challenge of my job, and exercise is the perfect complement. You'll never find me on a chair at my desk all day. I like to work standing up a couple of hours every day and during lunch breaks I go for a run or walk as often as I can. It helps me with my focus and I go home in the evening with more energy.”
…to exercise coach
“Exercise and health have always been a passion. But it wasn't until corona that the idea of really doing something with it came to me. Through boot camps in the neighbourhood, I realised there were other ways to exercise and couldn't wait to convince other people. I started on a very small scale with boot camps for friends and acquaintances in our garden. Now, I'm a part-time online exercise and nutritional coach. And I also organise physical work-outs and core stability training on site.”
now. I also teach group classes, crosstraining being my favourite.”
Getting everyone on board
“The boot camps were a success from the word go. Colleagues love the fact that I also take part. I can't help myself. (laughs) I have noticed that most of the people who take part like to exercise. That's why I'm looking for ways to convince colleagues who want to start from zero. It's really important to me that nobody feels held back and that we can motivate everyone to exercise more.”
Boot camps for colleagues
“Helping people discover the joy of sports is what drives me. When everyone was working from home during the lockdowns I was looking for ways to exercise together. Boot camps at work? Why not? I submitted my action plan, and after some hemming and hawing it was approved. As soon as we could go back to the office I started the boot camps. Jims has taken over the boot camps now and I'm a personal trainer in the club at Hellebroek Office
Marathon in 3:14
“My own ambitions? Since the children I try not to be fanatical. Because I'm such a perfectionist, one goal a year is enough. We're also very active as a family. My boyfriend and I ran the marathon of Amsterdam in 3 hours 14 minutes last year. And I'm very proud of that. (laughs) And seeing Storm (6) and Billie (4) enthusiastically jumping up and down on their mats in the morning to join my online workouts makes me very proud as a mum too.”
Pushing the limits
“The fact that I want to push the limits will probably never change. One of my dreams is to run the Marathon des Sables or to do a multi-day trail run in the mountains. As long as it's a challenge. Because I don't like standing at the start with the feeling that I can do it. I've learned that I can only get better by getting out of my comfort zone. This is a piece of advice I want to share with everyone.”
The powers of endorphins
During the day Michael ‘Mike’ Dieu is an operator at Ollignies. In the evening and in the weekend he's in training for the 90 km ‘Marathon du Mont Blanc’ despite a back operation he had four years ago.
Over the peaks
“Even as a child I was into all kinds of sports: athletics, triathlon, bicycle racing and trail running these last four years. After severe back problems and major surgery on my lumbar spine, I devoted myself to this demanding discipline. I've already run two big trails: the 48 km Lavaredo Ultra Trail km in the Dolomites and the 62 km Nice trail. Respectively 2,600 and 3,300 altitude metres! This year, for my 50th birthday, my goal is to run the 90 km long Marathon du Mont Blanc with almost 6,000 ascent metres.”
Héribus slagheap
“I have to train 16 weeks to prepare. Fortunately, I have an excellent trainer by my side who provides me with a weekly programme and acts as my soundboard. I generally do three weeks of intensive training, followed by a week of recovery. I gradually increase the number of kilometres and run uphill as much as possible. And I've found my favourite training spot: the Héribus slagheap in Cuesmes. By climbing the stairs about 20
times a session, I reach a difference in altitude of 1,000 meters after three hours of training. Where there's a will there's a way! Although it's not always that straightforward mentally. Especially when the weather's bad, like this spring. Regardless of whether it's raining, snowing or windy: I have to train.”
Mother Nature
“For the Mont Blanc I'm not setting a time I want to run the race in. I'll come nowhere near the elite runners who'll run 90 kilometres in 10 hours. I simply want to finish the race within the allowed time: 25 hours. I like to better myself, it's in my character. And I can't wait to experience the joy again that hits you when you're reunited with your wife, dog, family and friends after the event. And of course the majestic mountain landscape makes this discipline extra fun. As does respect for nature and the local population. I'm considering running the Maxi Race around Lake Annecy next year. Or the Mont Blanc 90 km if I don't manage it this year. I'll keep trying!”
“Humanitarian project for the entire local population”
Serge Vuadi, order picker at eLogistics in Erpe-Mere, uses his spare time and savings to build an orphanage in his native country, the Democratic Republic of Congo. “Our project may be a drop in the ocean, but it'll benefit a lot of people.”
War orphans
“It all started in 1998, when war broke out in the east of the country. The fighting caused a huge rural exodus towards Kinshasa. At the time, I was a pastor in a rural region around the capital. A group of eight orphans seeking shelter pushed open the doors of our church. We welcomed them and provided food and a place to sleep. Even though conditions were very hard, we wanted to help them. And that's how my project began.”
Christian centre 'The Redemption'
“We primarily wanted to build an orphanage for 30 children. After about ten years of work, it should open its doors this autumn. But it doesn't end there. To give them a good future and job opportunities, we also need to teach these children, provide healthcare, psychological support and training. A kindergarten, primary school and health centre are therefore also planned. To meet their food needs, the nine hectares of surrounding land will be cultivated. In time, we also plan to
organise basic courses in agriculture and vocational courses in computer science, carpentry and plumbing. And to teach them how to read and write, because illiteracy is a big problem in Congo: it affects almost 30% of the population.”
Decisive impact
“An old friend is coordinating the work on site. As it was my idea, I travel to Congo four to five times a year to pass on my vision and move the project forward. How we pay for that project? My wife and I invest the money we earn here in Belgium and we also use membership fees from our non-profit organisation. This project will benefit not only the children in the orphanage, but the entire local population: it'll create jobs and facilitate access to education, healthcare and water. Because one day we also hope to drill a well close to the centre. Today I'm very happy the orphanage is almost finished. We're still looking for clothes, toys, books, care products, etc. If you have anything in your house that can help us, don't hesitate! (laughs)”
Text:
Laura Vanneste /
Photo:
Serge Vuadi
Who?
Fine Food Wine is conducting a test whereby it's offering three wines that we bottle ourselves in bottles without shrink capsule. Plant manager Bruno Flamand is running the test.
Go-getter
What?
Colruyt Group's strategic aim is that by 2025 all private label packaging has to be reusable or recyclable. The PVC shrink capsules on wine bottles do not meet this requirement which is why we're testing whether we can leave them out.
“PVC is non-recyclable material. Apart from our own sustainability objective, there's also an industry undertaking that prohibits sales of PVC in Belgium from 2026. That's why Fine Food Wine started thinking about alternatives. Aluminium? Can't be processed on our current line. A screw top? Some people don't like screw tops on wine bottles. No capsule seemed the most sustainable solution.”
“And another thing is that it's also a lot cheaper: you no longer have to buy the capsules, the environment contribution is lower and part of the production line is no longer necessary. Also, the capsules have no functional use and they're no longer compulsory. They used to be necessary to combat fraud. But that no longer applies which means we can leave them out.”
“The look of the bottle and the wine department in the store will not be the same of course which may have an effect on customer perception. This is why a test is necessary. More information is provided in the stores. One rosé, white and red wine from our own bottling plant will be produced with only a paper label and a cork. We wonder how our customers will respond. Will it be a positive evaluation? If so, we can gradually start leaving out the capsule of the other wines we bottle ourselves.”
By 2025 we want all our private label packaging to be reusable or recyclable. By getting rid of the PVC shrink capsules on the wine bottles we bottle ourselves, we contribute to a better environment together, step by step.
Do you also support a sustainable initiative at work? Let us know by mail to gazet@colruytgroup.com or a direct to GAZET.
“I got Jef and Frans to
Dieter Van Waeyenberghe:
“I think the awards are a great recognition for co-workers who worked for the company day in and day out for so many years.”
“Every year Colruyt Group celebrates co-workers with several years of service,” says Dieter Van Waeyenberghe, team manager at the distribution centre in Ghislenghien. “25, 30, 35 and 45 years of work experience in sales, logistics, production or central services is suitably rewarded during an event with a fitting award. A few hundred colleagues attend every time, often with their partner.”
“This photograph dates back to the 2016 event, when I still worked for the CCX event team, now Marketing Communication Services. I think it was held on our Dassenveld site. We dug up some of the old devices – which the guests still recognised – to take an original photograph. Ancient barcode scanners, a reception tannoy, a real Red Phone, an old computer, etc. We didn't want people to take it seriously which resulted in hilarious pictures. The event team also made us show our silliest side of course… (laughs)”
“That team was responsible for the organisation of this awards event: the preparations, the technical side, the decoration of the location, the welcome of the visitors, the presentation, etc. It was a lot of work, but it was always fun. I once managed to get Jef and Frans Colruyt to dance with each other! It was incredible! That was at Wilgenveld: the guests had a drink during the reception in the canteen. They were taken
dance”
in groups to the big hall on the ground floor for a bunch of flowers and to receive their award. Obviously it took a while before the last group received theirs. I knew some of them, and they said to me: “We've waited so long, we must be getting something special, right?” To which as presenter I replied: “Sure, Jef and Frans are going to dance for you!” Somewhat caught by surprise, Jef and Frans looked at each other, got hold of each other and started dancing. How good was that!”
“I think the awards are a great recognition for co-workers who worked for the company day in and day out for so many years. And I'm happy to be there again this year. Because some of the co-workers in my team are getting an award. And my wife is too.”
Do you have any fun pictures you would like to share with us? Send us a mail at gazet@ colruytgroup.com or a direct to GAZET.
Text: Benoit Van Trimpont /
Photo: Katleen Van Den Eede
Filip Nerinckx, Dieter Van Waeyenberghe, Seth Provost and Marc Goossens: the events team of the awards ceremony in 2016 (missing on the photograph: Ann Herregodts and Koen Baert).
Between
The MyComfort24 online store is simply great: great product range, easy ordering options and excellent and efficient follow-up.
Pierre
A couple of times I've seen this handsome boy in your store. He always catches my eye, either at the checkout or in the fruit and veg section. His name is X. Do you know if he's single and what social media he's on?
I went to a great flower workshop at Cru yesterday. I'd already like to sign up for the next one. Thanks!
Maggy
They're always friendly and helpful. They always try to find a solution (and usually manage to find one), without ever doubting the customer. Collect&Go in Nivelles even goes beyond the call of duty. They personally deliver any shopping I forgot to my house. The butcher's department lets you know when things are not available or helps you out when you want something special. I have nothing but praise for these people!
Very quick action and reaction of Cindy at customer service. Clear explanation about the solution and further actions. Feather in Cindy's cap and for the Collect&Go customer service for handling my problem.
I really want to thank you: like many others, I suffer from celiac disease, an autoimmune disease which stops me from eating gluten. The gluten-free label on the packaging makes it so much easier and makes me realise I can eat more than I thought. Thanks again!
Super store with excellent customer service! Highly recommended for everyone looking to buy a new bicycle. I'm very happy I ended up at Bike Republic in Ninove for the purchase of my new mountain bike. They were very helpful and nothing was too much. Really a great store!
Fantastic atmosphere at Jims Mersch! Great!
Sébastien and Charles are always polite, very friendly and super professional. They always create a pleasant experience at the gym always create a pleasant
Lovebirds between the store shelves Store co-worker Carlo Mestdagh and his wife Sofie Verfaille chose a special spot for their wedding pictures: Colruyt Deinze. “This is where we met,” Carlo says. “It made sense to us. Shopping customers were able to enjoy our special moment. And it was also great fun for the colleagues. I was able to show off my wedding suit to them and not my grey overalls for a change. (laughs)”
Challenges for nerds
Smart Innovation and Technics showed some interesting crowd pleasers during the Nerdland science festival. Smart Innovation showcased our latest technological developments in an automated demo store – similar to an Okay Direct. The Technics Technical School built a hexagonal installation with original challenges for visitors in the game zone.
Homo Universalis
This spring the colleagues at RPCG went looking for their homo universalis. Along the lines of the Flemish TV-programme, 34 enthusiastic all-rounders combated each other. After every challenge a number of coworkers were cut. The final took place during the traditional food truck festival at the site in Mechelen. And the winner is... All will be revealed in our next issue!
Sofie is a fan of Cru High visit at Cru Dilbeek: wellknown TV chef Sofie Dumont visited one afternoon to prepare delicious snacks with Cru sourdough bread. An inspiring tasting moment for customers who enjoyed the combination of this amazing bread with the typical pure flavours of Cru products.
Childhood dream come true
Sinterklaas has been in Spain enjoying the sun for a while now. And deservedly so, because he was very generous when he was here last: when he visited Okay Bernissart he met this chap whose dream is play football at a club. Unfortunately, he can barely see without his glasses. Sinterklaas spoke to his football contacts and found suitable glasses for the boy. And finally he can play! “His reaction and his mother's were incredible,” store manager Patrick Cailleau recalls. “Tears of happiness and eternal gratitude!”
Saying goodbye in style
A
big thank you
“I wanted to thank the teams of Comarkt in Bruges, Ostend and Gullegem again,” says Idonie Vandenbogaerde, regional VAK coordinator VAK team Sale. “Thanks for the great collaboration during the intense period of transition. I got to know some great people at Comarkt. It hasn't always been easy, but I'm extremely proud of all of you!”
The last working day in the distribution centre of Stroppen was memorable. Although many people were looking forward to the new workplace in Ollignies, it was a party with mixed feelings. The drink and the fun goodie bag helped to wash down the emotions.
155 years of experience
“Our regional manager Rob Smeedts managed to give us a big surprise”, Veerle Moortgat, non-food manager at Colruyt Lochristi says. “During the briefing, we unexpectedly received a medal for our years of service: Peggy Van De Velde and Frederick De Laeter 25 years, myself and head butcher Patrick Thienpondt 30 years and butcher François Apers as many as 45 years, 27 of which at Colruyt.” Congratulations, colleagues!
Royal visitors
Colruyt Aalst reopend its doors after a thorough refurbishment. The welcome reception also had a VIP: none other than Prinsj Vincent (or Prince Carnival) reopened the store in his carnival city and took pictures with the whole team.
TV studios for one day
Ahead of the elections at the start of June, our locations staged several TV shows. For example, Collect&Go's distribution centre in Londerzeel was used as a studio for a debate of VRT, and Sudinfo used a number of Walloon and Brussels Colruyt stores for interviews with French-speaking party leaders. A great opportunity to put us in the spotlight as the biggest Belgian employer.
Hop hop hop, another new hub
Solucious opened a new logistics hub in Oudenburg near Ostend. Ready to serve customers even better in West Flanders! And 150,000 fewer km thanks to this ideal location and optimum planning.
Great
summer holidays!
Festivals, youth camps, amusement parks, etc. The Solucious delivery drivers are going the extra mile this summer to make sure everyone can have a carefree time. Including Michael Hesbeen, who together with his colleagues supplies the stands in Walibi at the crack of dawn. Partly thanks to him, visitors will have a great day. Are you going to an amusement park this summer? Are you travelling far or staying close to home? Whatever your plans, have a great summer!
