Our Relationship with ALDI
Relationships between supermarkets and their suppliers are often the cause of debate, with many industry observers pointing out the risks associated with small suppliers, farmers and growers becoming too dependent on the big supermarkets.
However, JZ Flowers’ relationship with Aldi in the UK and Ireland turns this conventional wisdom on its head. Here are just a few headline facts that characterise this long-term partnership:
Aldi’s aim is to build strong supplier relationships that last, and the partnership with JZ Flowers demonstrates that Aldi do what they say. Due to the contractual certainty Aldi offer, JZ can freely invest in their business to manage Aldi’s growth and make long-term commitments to growers. The result is an ‘efficiency cycle’, enabling JZ to operate at the lowest possible cost base, whilst maintaining Aldi’s exacting quality standards.
This unique relationship enables JZ to develop real Aldi expertise in-house, which means Aldi can rely on JZ to competently support their category growth, from product and packaging designs to daily liaison with Aldi’s regional teams.
The word has got out, and in recent years JZ has developed a successful supply relationship with Aldi USA and is in discussions with further countries.
Julie Ashfield, Managing Director for Buying at Aldi, knows JZ well and says: “Jelle Zwemstra started a business typical of those Aldi closely identify with; a family business prepared to invest in both capacity and strong people for the long-term, enabling them to stay ahead of Aldi’s remarkable growth.
“JZ fully understands Aldi’s volume-driven low-cost model and appreciates that what’s in Aldi’s customers’ best interests is also good for our suppliers. The team at JZ, now led by Jelle’s daughter, Tessa, have been a joy to work with over the last quarter of a century and a model supply relationship we often use as a benchmark. We look forward to the next 25 years!”