Lidl Hungary has concluded a cooperation agreement with the Hungarian Export Development Agency HEPA
The joint goal of Lidl Hungary and the Hungarian Export Development Agency of HEPA was to boost the export sales of domestic agricultural and food products, within the framework of which a co-operation agreement was concluded. The two organizations mutually support each other’s activities.
Lidl Hungary and the Hungarian Export Development Agency of HEPA have signed a cooperation agreement, which supports the recovery of export sales of agricultural and food products both in the EU single market and in foreign trade with third countries.
Lidl is committed to supporting the development of domestic food suppliers. The basic goal is to get as many high-quality Hungarian products as possible not only on the shelves in Hungary, but also in the export countries. Lidl helps Hungarian suppliers to enter the international market in several ways.
Lidl Hungary is ready to develop a partnership role with HEPA in the direction of both the market and the government, where the goal is to implement joint strategic cooperation. As part of this, the company wants to develop its activities in connection with the access of Hungarian products to the export market. Such an objective is to participate in the development of the Food Industry Supplier Development Program, to provide Hungarian products for the export platform to enter foreign markets, but the formation of an active consumer attitude is also a particularly important goal. The Lidl Supplier Academy and the Lidl Academy Plus serve to support domestic producers, expand the range of supplier partners and increase the proportion of Hungarian products.
“The undisguised goal of our company is to be the determining engine of the Hungarian economy, and this affects all areas of our operation. Through our “Lidl for Hungarian suppliers” program, we have been working for many years to put Hungarian companies in a position and to bring as many domestic products as possible to the shelves in stores, both domestically and abroad. As a result, last year the 726 products of our 170 suppliers reached 28 countries worth about HUF 81 billion. The cooperation agreement with HEPA is now another milestone not only for Hungarian companies, but also for Hungarian companies. We will raise the support of Hungarian producers and enterprises to an even higher level, and we will know more about the country’s competitiveness by implementing initiatives related to the National Export Strategy.
– said Péter Hajdu, Managing Director of Sales at Lidl Hungary.
The largest member of the Schwarz Group is Lidl, the only retail network in the world to be present in the top five as a European company.
The company currently has 4 logistics centers and 191 stores nationwide, and employs more than 8,500 people. In addition, there are already 469 Hungarian suppliers with more than 4,000 domestic products on Lidl’s shelves.
Based on gross sales data for 2020, Lidl is already the number one FMCG retail chain in Hungary and will continue to maintain this position based on sales data for 2021. It also achieved significant success in the export of wines – where in 2021 it handled a significant part of the total export of bottled wine and champagne worth about HUF 7.9 billion.
“The joint cooperation opportunities signed today will open up the development of the export theme of the Lidl Supplier Academy, and HEPA’s food industry customers will have the opportunity for a professional consultation to help Lidl join the supply chain. In addition, we support the development of businesses by offering joint supplier days, professional workshops on domestic export opportunities and knowledge-sharing events for companies in the meat and poultry and fruit and vegetable industries named in the export development strategy. ”
– said Dr. Kristóf Szabó, CEO of the Hungarian Export Development Agency HEPA.
Lidl is ready to cooperate with HEPA on several topics – now a formal strategic framework, of which the implementation of initiatives in line with the objectives of the “National Export Strategy 2019-2030” will play a key role.