Selgros Cash&Carry is one of the biggest retailers in Romania. The company has managed to maintain its leading position by fulfilling its mission to offer on a daily basis a wide variety of products at the right price, guaranteeing their freshness and always acting with professionalism.
In 2011, Selgros became a member of Transgourmet Holding AG, the second largest B2B and food service company in Europe. The Transgourmet Group is owned by the Co-Op Switzerland and operates in the B2B foodservice segment in seven countries – Germany, Switzerland, France, Poland, Romania, Russia and Austria.
Selgros currently owns 91 stores: 38 in Germany, 19 in Poland, 11 in Russia and 23 in Romania. The company entered the Romanian market 20 years ago, opening the first store in Brașov where the headquarters are also located.
How did your cooperation start with K.Hartwall?
“The first time we were contacted by K.Hartwall was in December 2018. We got introduced to Foldia® which was presented as the most innovative Roll Container on the market. At first sight Foldia seemed to be a very interesting solution for our operations, particularly due to its impressive empty ratio of 5:1. Being able to store 5 empty roll cages in a footprint of 800x680mm meant a massive space saving in our distribution centres, stores and in the backhauling. Selgros has been using demountable roll containers with an empty ratio of 2 units on one footprint for many years. After our discussions we realised that we could save 2,5 times more space with Foldia®. At that moment we knew it was time to change.” explains Adrian Dragomir, former Distribution Director at Selgros Cash&Carry S.R.L.
We had a second meeting in March 2019 at the Breakfast Seminar held by K.Hartwall in Bucharest where the whole product range for retail was presented. Being able to see and handle the unit in real life played a significant role in the discussions. “Furthermore, when we saw the Foldia® Plus , where the height of the sides can be adjusted to five different levels with the same folding ratio, it became clear that this was the solution to all our problems.”, adds Dragomir.
Why did Selgros choose Foldia® Plus?
“First we were thinking about the space that we could save in the DC, the stores, as well as in the trucks, but we soon noticed that the Foldia® Plus had a positive impact on the entire supply chain”, says Dragomir. There are several positives going for it, but the most important were:
- Impressive folding ratio 5:1 – less space needed for empties in DC and trucks
- Easier and faster unloading for drivers – due to its folding design
- Very good optimization in vehicles with cooler and lower height vehicles
- Faster picking preparations – One pallet-jack can take 15 empty Foldias comparing to 6 demountable units
- We use Foldia® Plus as a delivery trolley for HoReCa customers
- By using K.Hartwall SmartShelf ® (fixed shelf with adjustable height) instead of loose shelves we manage to eliminate issue of losing shelves and constantly searching for them
Why did you choose K.Hartwall?
First, the references that K.Hartwall has in the retail industry and especially in Romania, where the biggest retailers are using their products for many years, were impressive. Second, other customers chose K.Hartwall because of the high quality of their products meaning a low Total Cost of Ownership as the unit needs low maintenance when handled properly.
Finally, a key factor has been the professional approach of K.Hartwall to bring a solution to our logistics challenges rather than just selling us another load carrier.
K.Hartwall Foldia® Plus roll cage in a nutshell
Foldia® Plus is a smart folding roll container which adapts to your needs throughout the supply chain.
The adjustable sides allow you to adjust its height from 1,3 and 1,9 m depending on the goods transported or the size of truck you are using. The unit has five different height options.
As for the traditional Foldia® roll container, 4 empty units can be folded inside an open one to maximize both the transport cubic efficiency and space savings at destination.
Click here to see the Foldia® Plus product page.
