The German banana market has reportedly taken another major step towards direct sourcing with the news that discount retail operator Lidl is working on plans to streamline its own business within the category.
As reported in leading German grocery trade newspaper Lebensmittel Zeitung, the discounter is looking to bypass wholesalers in favour of what it regards as a more efficient, more direct line of procurement for the 1,000 tonnes or so of bananas it sources every week.
Since last year, a new distribution centre in Kempen, 30km north-west of Düsseldorf, has apparently been supplying fruit and vegetables to Lidl's entire German network, with importer OGL said to be handling all of its overseas fresh produce lines.
The decision to go direct on bananas follows the recent announcement that rival group Aldi also wants to procure its bananas direct from source.
Aldi has also opted to abandon the practice of publishing a weekly banana price, a figure which had become a de facto reference price for the entire European banana trade.
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