MERKUR shopping experience, variety of assortment and service will remain at the usual high level of quality
Clear advantages for customers: attractive prices, simple promotions, comprehensible discounts, precise assortment and even more individual offers and formats
"The grocery trade is in a state of upheaval. Customers want precise shopping experiences, the right prices for them, exactly the selection and the service they need for their individual lifestyle - always, immediately, in the shop as well as online. In order to meet these requirements in the best possible way, it is necessary to join forces. Two strong sales formats that have been successful for decades are now moving even closer together, can support each other even better and act in a more targeted manner in the range of products for our customers. In this way, we are concentrating all our efforts on our common goal: to become the number one for our customers," explains Marcel Haraszti, REWE International AG Executive Boardmember and Chairman of BILLA MERKUR Austria.
For this reason, the BILLA supermarket and the MERKUR large-scale stores will operate under the joint umbrella brand BILLA in the future. MERKUR will transform into the strong format brand BILLA Plus in April. For MERKUR fans, the market experience, the variety in the assortment, the quality, and the freshness competence of the MERKUR large area, the large selection in the market or products freshly produced on site will remain completely intact.
The BILLA family will be expanded by this added value and will remain the Austria-wide local supplier with the branches as well as the online shop. The number of BILLA locations will grow to more than 1,200 (BILLA around 1,100 and MERKUR 144 shops) with more than 30,000 employees. This change does not entail any staff reductions at BILLA and / or MERKUR / BILLA Plus - on the contrary: the expertise, performance and passion of each individual employee is more in demand than ever. All savings that have been and will be achieved from the previous structural measures will be invested directly in customer benefits and locations.
More together: one umbrella brand - more customer benefits
"BILLA is an "icon" of the Austrian food trade, is synonymous with 'supermarket' and has always been known for constantly reinventing itself with changing customer needs - as it is doing now. As a brand family that brings together two strong formats - supermarket and large-scale, it will be even better possible in the future to meet every regional and local demand for pinpoint local supply. "Together, we are doubling our clout in the highly competitive food retail sector. Because only together can we adapt to every customer and location in a tailored manner throughout - stationary and digital," Haraszti continues.
The satisfaction of each individual customer has top priority and is the goal that determines success. Away from standards and one-size-fits-all processes, towards tailor-made adjustments for each customer. The merger of the two sales formats BILLA and MERKUR to form BILLA and BILLA Plus now enables a clear and strong price and promotion policy. Promotions will be made simpler, discounts more comprehensible, so that customers can recognise and use their advantages at first glance. In future, there will be a joint customer medium. The popular "Frisch gekocht" (freshly cooked), even more attractive with its own high-quality line for the MERKUR experience at BILLA Plus, will become a broad enjoyment and culinary platform.
The product range is also becoming more precise, even fresher, even more innovative and more regional - not least with the attractive BILLA own brands, which take all customer needs into account. The pilot project "BILLA as a guest at MERKUR", in which BILLA own-brand products were also available in MERKUR stores, clearly showed that MERKUR customers like to reach for BILLA. The BILLA performance brand was successfully expanded to include the seasonal BILLA festive assortment and optimally complements the well-known brands that are still available, such as clever, Da komm' ich her! and Hofstädter.
BILLA Bio and more regionality
The BILLA organic family is also being expanded: the new own brand BILLA Bio will broadly strengthen the Ja! Natürlich's product range and will comprise 135 products from mid-February. It offers customers reliable organic quality at an attractive price. Ja! Natürlich, the Austrian organic pioneer for more than 25 years, continues to occupy its accustomed premium position in the organic product range. Both organic brands complement each other ideally: while Ja! Natürlich offers a wide variety of organic products, especially in the fresh area, the selection and price of the dry assortment and convenience products are now sensibly expanded by BILLA Bio.
In addition, there continues to be a strong focus on regionality, and cooperation with local and regional suppliers is being further expanded. The newly established regional sales structure with seven sales regions ensures even more intensive anchoring in the regions.
Depending on customer needs and region, BILLA and BILLA Plus will in future fulfil specific wishes with tailor-made offers and formats, such as individual shop-in-shop concepts with partners from the gastronomy sector or toy and electronics retailers.
"With our combined strengths and capabilities, we are increasing the appeal of our brand and becoming simpler and easier to understand. With a clear pricing policy, comprehensible discounts and a precise assortment. This benefits our customers as well as our employees, who can learn from each other and support each other better," Haraszti summarises.
