Colruyt Group’s Commitment to Serving the Evolving Needs of Hospitality
Starting from January 30, 2025, Colruyt Lowest Prices stores in Bruges Sint-Pieters and Aalst will offer an expanded range of products tailored specifically for the hospitality sector. This new selection, made up of 200 products, is part of Colruyt Group’s larger strategy to broaden its presence in the business-to-business (B2B) market.
While these products are aimed primarily at professional hospitality customers, they will also be available for private customers to purchase. The assortment includes fresh, pre-cut vegetables, larger packaging options, specific frozen foods, and essential items like gloves. These products come from the Solucious range, Colruyt Group’s foodservice specialist, and have been carefully chosen to meet the unique needs of the hospitality industry.
The launch of this pilot project in Bruges Sint-Pieters and Aalst marks an exciting new chapter for Colruyt Group. These stores are the first to introduce this specialized range of products, which aligns with the group’s ongoing efforts to expand its offerings for professional customers. Solucious, a division of Colruyt Group, already supplies products to over 25,000 clients, many of which are in the hospitality sector.
Yves Vandenbrande, the person in charge of Solucious, explained, “Solucious already supplies products to more than 25,000 customers, a large portion of which are hospitality clients. By making our products available at Colruyt stores, we can serve our customers even better.”
The selection of these two stores—one in Bruges and the other in Aalst—was not incidental. Both locations were carefully chosen because of their strategic importance. Bruges is a major tourist destination and the gateway to Belgium’s coastline, making it home to a significant number of hospitality businesses. Aalst, situated between Brussels and Ghent, is also a prime location for the introduction of this new product range.
Filip Ghillebaert, responsible for Colruyt for Professionals, commented, “The stores in Aalst and Bruges will each feature a broader assortment of hospitality products. Additionally, the butcher’s department plays an important role: the meat can be packaged according to the client’s preferences, including vacuum packing, which is available in the Bruges store.”
One of the notable features of the pilot project is the role of the butcher’s department in serving hospitality customers. The butcher’s department will not only provide high-quality meats but will also cater to specific requests, offering options such as vacuum-packed meats for convenience. This personalized service allows hospitality businesses to get products tailored to their needs, making it easier for them to integrate these items into their menus or service offerings. This added flexibility is crucial in a sector where consistency and quality are of the utmost importance.
Expanding B2B Reach Colruyt Group Targets Hospitality Sector
The project is an integral part of Colruyt Group’s ambition to strengthen its position in the B2B market. According to Yves Vandenbrande, the changing dynamics of consumer behavior are a driving force behind the company’s decision to expand in this direction. “We see consumer behavior changing: customers are increasingly switching between cooking at home, dining out, picking up meals, or consuming on-the-go.
As a Belgian retailer, we want to adapt to these changing customer needs. On the one hand, by focusing on on-the-go and convenience for customers, and on the other hand, by investing heavily in hospitality.” This approach reflects the broader trend of businesses seeking to adapt their offerings to a market that is increasingly diverse in terms of where and how people choose to consume food.
Colruyt Group has long been an established name in the retail and wholesale sectors, with years of experience in catering to both consumers and businesses. Through its B2B-focused arm, Solucious, Colruyt supplies a variety of products to clients across several industries, including hospitality, retail, B2B2E (business-to-business-to-employee), and health and public services.
The company’s expertise in the B2B sector is a cornerstone of its ongoing success, and Yves Vandenbrande highlighted that Solucious continues to experience significant growth. “We are actively attracting new customers and expanding through acquisitions, such as the takeovers of Valfrais and Délidis last year,” he said. This growth trajectory reflects Colruyt Group’s commitment to strengthening its B2B presence and diversifying its product range to meet the needs of an evolving market.
Colruyt Group is also looking to expand its physical footprint in the B2B market. The company already operates several Colruyt for Professionals stores, with four locations in Belgium: Wandre, Jumet, and two in Brussels. Filip Ghillebaert, who oversees Colruyt for Professionals, expressed confidence in the potential for growth, stating, “We see clear potential to at least double that number of stores.
” He further emphasized the importance of exploring ways to serve professional customers within Colruyt’s existing retail environment. “At the same time, we also find it important to explore how we can further serve professional customers in our Colruyt Lowest Prices stores. That’s why we’re very excited about the pilot in Aalst and Bruges. And, of course, customers will be able to enjoy these products at the lowest prices in the B2B market.”
This dual strategy of expanding the Colruyt for Professionals network while also incorporating more B2B-focused offerings into Colruyt’s Lowest Prices stores represents a smart, flexible approach. It allows Colruyt Group to cater to both professional and consumer customers, offering them the best of both worlds: affordable prices and high-quality products tailored to their specific needs. The decision to introduce these products at Colruyt Lowest Prices stores reflects a growing trend within the retail industry to diversify product offerings and better serve various customer segments.
For hospitality businesses, the availability of products like pre-cut vegetables, frozen foods, and packaging materials will make it easier to run efficient operations, reduce waste, and offer a wider range of options for their menus or services. At the same time, private customers will benefit from the availability of these products in larger quantities, allowing them to buy in bulk or access items they might not normally find at traditional supermarkets. This further aligns with Colruyt’s commitment to providing convenience and value to all of its customers.
The pilot project in Aalst and Bruges may serve as a model for future expansion in the B2B market. By offering a wide range of products designed specifically for the hospitality sector, Colruyt Group is positioning itself as a key player in this space, ready to meet the growing demands of professional customers while still catering to the needs of its private customers. Whether this initiative expands to other Colruyt locations or evolves into new business models, the company’s focus on serving both the consumer and professional markets will likely continue to shape its strategy in the years to come.
In conclusion, the launch of this pilot project at Colruyt Lowest Prices stores in Bruges Sint-Pieters and Aalst is a significant step in Colruyt Group’s efforts to strengthen its position in the B2B market. By offering a carefully curated selection of products for the hospitality sector, Colruyt Group is not only responding to shifting consumer behavior but also capitalizing on new opportunities for growth.
With the backing of Solucious and a continued focus on expanding its B2B capabilities, Colruyt Group is well on its way to becoming a leading provider of products for the professional foodservice industry. The pilot project represents a promising first step in what could be a larger movement to serve the evolving needs of customers in both the retail and hospitality sectors.
