Marco Marach, an independent REWE retailer from Verden in Lower Saxony, recently took part in the “Regionalitäts-Tage” (Regionality Days), highlighting products from farmers and producers close to his stores, and engaging in a dialogue with customers, politicians, and agricultural representatives. In our “Three Questions…” series, he talks about his commitment to regionality, and the exchanging of ideas.
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The idea came to me because many consumers are increasingly demanding regionality, but rarely know what the term means, or which challenges local producers often face. So, I invited around 30 local and regional suppliers to present themselves in my store and engage in a dialogue with consumers and political guests. How are they affected by bureaucracy and labour shortages? How do they market their products, and how does local value creation work?
For my team and myself, local and regional product assortments have been a priority since 2019, and their importance is constantly growing. We work with around 70 local and regional suppliers, across different assortments and product ranges. We are also constantly looking for new products and partners. Local and regional means partnership – we strengthen and support each other. For example, my local egg supplier sometimes delivers up to three times a day to meet high demand and to provide freshly laid eggs. I am happy to pay a few cents more for this extra effort on the farmer’s behalf. This keeps our offer attractive to customers and helps us avoid high write-offs.
On the other hand, I have suppliers who come to me when they have a product surplus. We then work together to find an individually tailored solution for the sale, without having to undersell or dispose the goods. The cooperation is always open, honest, equal, and based on partnership. Mutual appreciation and respect are key.
The best feedback was that some customers have already asked for a repeat next year. That made me and the local producers very happy and encouraged. The feedback from farmers, other suppliers, and political representatives was also very positive. Together we were able to highlight and discuss the opportunities and challenges of local value creation. The event reassured me that my team and me are on the right track.
Marco Marach
Marco Marach is a self-employed businessman and runs two REWE stores in Verden, Lower Saxony.
