REWE Extends Cooperation with IFCO in Germany

IFCO SYSTEMS, a global provider of reusable packaging solutions, has extended its cooperation agreement with the REWE Group ahead of schedule. Within the scope of the agreement, IFCO will provide the REWE supermarkets and PENNY discount stores with a black version of the innovative Lift Lock RPC – for the first time on the European market. “The REWE Group is a strategic partner for us, with whom we are cooperating on a long-term basis in order to improve business operations and provide the desired RPC concepts and service models,” says Wolfgang Orgeldinger, CEO of IFCO Systems. Orgeldinger continued by stating that “at IFCO, everything is about fulfilling the requirements of our customers and the objective of jointly developing the best possible solutions.” The REWE Group emphasizes the strategic aspect of the long-standing partnership with IFCO. “Constant innovation capacity, comprehensive services and IFCO’s high level of commitment were among the main reasons for the decision to extend the contract,” says Eugenio Guidoccio, head of strategic purchasing, fruit and vegetables, REWE Group. With the introduction of the Black Lift Lock RPC, REWE will receive an optimal standard packaging system for fruit and vegetables. Besides the logistical advantages of the new generation of IFCO crates (extremely low empty stack height, more interior volume, more layers per pallet, better product protection, improved ergonomics),  the REWE Group particularly appreciates the elegant design and the new coloring of the new product. “We thus receive a display system that further underlines our high quality standards with regard to fruit and vegetables,” says Guidoccio. The two companies are planning to gradually introduce the IFCO crate generation during the forthcoming months for all stores of the REWE Group in Germany and are also examining the possibility of extending the cooperation to further applications in the future. “We are in intensive talks about the introduction of the Caja de Oro banana RPC for banana imports as well as the use of IFCO crates for other areas, such as eggs or meat,” says Michael Meierhöfer, vice president north and central europe, who is also responsible for IFCO’s operations in Germany.