Systeme U, the French retailer, has signed a new agreement with the Federation des Enterprises et Entrepreneurs de France (FEEF) , the organisation which promotes business with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Under the terms of the agreement, signed last week, Systeme U will work closely with SMEs as it continues to pursue its own growth strategy, taking advantage of their know-how and innovation to differentiate its product offer from that of its main rivals.
It has also agreed that it will serve as a showcase for innovative new products produced by SMEs, providing them with a route to market, and will also provide them with useful market information regarding consumer trends and developments in order to allow SMEs to better target their product development.
The retailer has also agreed to treat SMEs fairly when buying their products - for example, it will not put them at a disadvantage by offering discounts for larger companies offering a complete range of products.
Systeme U said that the agreement was part of its ongoing partnership with SMEs, based on the establishment of partnerships with suppliers sharing the same aims and interests.
FEEF said that the agreement would allow food industry SMEs to develop sales through the major retail sector while at the same time enabling them to retain their autonomy and expertise.