Mercadona made a decision that surprised its customers: It will gradually stop making bread in the warehouses of logistics blocks. The supermarket chain has 20 suppliers after four years of testing. According to a company statement, the aim is to strengthen the quality of the bread category and optimize production processes to achieve greater efficiency and profitability.
Bread It is the only category that produces in its own style in different lines available in warehouses. explained some of the logistics blocks.
Now, it will strengthen cooperation with Mercadona local specialist providers to continue to offer “the highest quality at the lowest possible price” in this category.
local suppliers
The process started with a pilot project in 2018 with the cooperation of many specialist suppliers undertaking their production. more than 20 million kilos per year of special breads such as milk bread, flea bread or wholemeal bread.
After this test, the company gradually included more local suppliers in the strategy; Valeromaking ‘peasant bread’ in Catalonia since 2021 or PandeCanProducing pan de millo and matalahúva in the Canary Islands since the beginning of 2022. mondat, Andalusian supplier who has been making “holistic sandwiches” for several months. According to Mercadona, they have all contributed to increasing the competitiveness of this category “thanks to their deeper knowledge of the process and better management of raw materials”.
Mercadona’s plan, which has 20 bread lines in eight logistics blocks, continues. gradually substituting its own bread production until the end of the implementation of new specialist providers.
Clarifying this measure “In no event will it affect” the 650 people currently employed on the furnace linesThe legal representation of workers, which will be displaced as the strategy is implemented, was informed.
It will include movement make room in logistics blocks and allow them to focus on their usual activities such as receiving, storing and shipping products.
bread production manager Ariana GonzalesIt has ensured that nearly four years of “collaboration and collaboration” with suppliers serve to analyze and develop this strategy.
Once the “planned” quality and efficiency improvements were approved, they chose to phase out all their bread lines, allowing the company to “focus on what we know how to do best: We offer an effective range of products of the highest quality and at the lowest possible price”it’s finished