Eroski

Eroski, S. Coop. is a Spanish cooperative distribution company belonging to the Mondragón Corporation with headquarters in the Biscayan town of Elorrio, in the Basque Country, Spain. It was founded in 1969 and is today one of the most important distribution companies in Spain, with a workforce of more than 35,000 workers spread throughout the country.

The Eroski Group is a unit of companies with different legal reality and different shareholding composition, and can range from cooperative societies (the parent company Eroski, S. Coop.) to public limited companies, with different shareholding percentages (for example, Caprabo with 100% or Vegalsa with 50%). It is part of the Mondragón Corporation in the distribution division. The 36,432 workers are custodians of the property, under equal conditions, with one person one vote in the General Assembly. The consumer partners and worker partners form part of Eroski's governing bodies (Governing Council and General Assembly) on an equal basis, so that they participate in decisions and management. Its composition is renewed every four years.

The name Eroski is a contraction of the Basque words erosi (to buy) and toki (place), translatable as "place to buy."

It acts from its origin with the permanent reinvestment of its profits and allocates 10% of business profits for the performance of the Eroski Foundation, which structures its action in three lines: Consumer information, Sustainable development and Innovation and social initiatives.

The Eroski brand maintains 8 different types of establishments: Eroski City, Eroski Center, Eroski Rapid, Eroski Aliprox, Eroski Hipermercados, Eroski Gasolineras, Viajes Eroski and Eroski Óptica. It also has three subsidiaries that operate with its products: Caprabo (Catalonia), Familia (Asturias, Castilla y León and Galicia) and Aprop (Balearic Islands). He also owns a sports fashion brand called Forum Sport.

History

Eroski Chronology

• 1969: Eroski was born from the union of seven consumer cooperatives with the intention of simplifying and abating their operations.
• 1974: the magazine EROSKI CONSUMER
• 1977: Eroski is Spain's first distribution chain to launch its own product brand. Six white packaging products were the first and gave names to all distributor products, known as white mark.
• 1978: Opening of the first franchise store.
• 1981: Eroski opens his first hypermarket in Vitoria, opens his own laboratory and begins to diversify business lines by opening the travel agency Eroski/Viajes.
• 1989: Eroski is the first Spanish company to remove CFC sprays from its own brand products to help preserve the ozone layer.
• 1990: Eroski begins to guarantee the quality of its own brand products through manufacturer certifications. The asparagus DO of Navarra is the first.
• 1991: Creation of Cecosa Sociedad to lead the Eroski Group.
• 1993: Opens the first Eroski gas station in the hypermarket of Pamplona. Open the hypermarket of Cordoba. It also opens its doors the hypermarket of Lorca in the commercial center San Diego, being the first in the Region of Murcia.
• 1997: The Eroski Foundation was born. The Cenco Group is integrated into the Eroski commercial network. Gespa will be the society that manages the participation of the workers.
• 1998: Vegalsa is created, the result of the agreement between Agrupación Vengon, S.A. and Eroski.
• 2000: The Internet sales channel is created.
• 2002: Together with the French group Intermarché, they create the European shopping platform called Alidis (International Business Alliance).
• 2002: Opens its hypermarket at the El Mirador Shopping Center in Cuenca; and Gran Plaza in Roquetas de Mar.
• 2004: the Valencian cooperative Consum leaves the group.
• 2005: Edeka, first German distributor, joins the Alidis platform.
• 2007: Eroski acquires 74% of Caprabo.
• 2009: Eroski approves the cooperative project, which gives the opportunity to all employees to become partners.
• 2011: It happens to have 84% of Caprabo, after buying La Caixa its participation (9%).
• 2012: It is made with 99% of Caprabo, when the Botet family leaves its shareholder. Opens in Oñate (Guipúzcoa) the first "100% sustainable" supermarket in Europe. In Murcia, close the hypermarket of the New Condomina Shopping Center.
• 2013: Open Caprabo Travel as an online travel agency.
• 2014: He is a pioneer in Spain in opening a supermarket on a university campus, in the University City of Leioa of UPV/EHU. Opens for the first time a supermarket at a music festival at the BBK Live in Bilbao.
• 2014: After long negotiations, in April the signing of a strategic alliance with Barceló Viajes that did not involve capital crossing. Through this, the travel division of the Barceló Group was responsible for managing the business backoffice of the travel agencies of Eroski, keeping these their identities and differentiated trade policy.
• 2015: In September all the shops El Árbol (supermarkets) in Spain and Eroski City, Eroski Center, Caprabo and Caprabo-Eroski located in Castilla y León, Madrid, Andalusia, Extremadura, Ceuta, Melilla and Canarias have become La Plaza de Día.
• 2016: Eroski closes the sale to Carrefour of 36 hypermarkets, 22 gas stations and 8 commercial galleries associated with 205 million euros, within its disinvestment process. It also closes the hypermarket of Córdoba. At the end of the accounting period, Eroski gets a positive result in BAII for the first time after 8 years of losses.
• 2017: The Douglas chain buys 103 Perfumerías If establishments, as well as the commercial brand and the e-commerce platform. It transfers the hypermarket of Logroño and sells its hypermarket from the Valle Real Shopping Center in Cantabria to the Carrefour chain. From the deal with Carrefour in 2016 four hypermarkets remain outside the same, Amposta, Albacete, Lorca (San Diego) and Velez-Málaga.
• 2018: Close the hypermarket of Roquetas de Mar.
• 2019: Eroski agrees with Family Cash the sale of 8 hypermarkets and a gas station, but maintains the property properties. Also close the hypermarkets of the Albacenter Shopping Centre and Cartagena.
• 2021: The hypermarkets of Guadalajara and Lorca San Diego are closed within the sale operation with the Family Cash company. Eroski leaves the Region of Murcia closing the first center that opened there.
• 2022: Close the hypermarket of Asturias in Parque Principado (Siero), leaving only the gas station of the brand. Eroski leaves the Principality of Asturias closing the only hypermarket he opened there.

Member consumers

There are about 450,000 citizens associated as consumers with this group whose representatives participate in the governance of the company. At the same time, some 100,000 citizens are Friends of the Eroski Foundation. All of them participate voluntarily in the training actions that the company regularly develops on matters of interest to the citizen, from aspects related to health to solidarity initiatives in collaboration with different NGOs.

Social initiatives

The Eroski Foundation also promotes international cooperation initiatives for sustainable development projects in needy countries. The Copade Foundation, the AKWABA Foundation and the Spanish Religious Health Federation F.E.R.S. They were the last protagonists when their projects were chosen. In its four previous editions, the Eroski Foundation has financed the projects of the entities mentioned for an amount that amounts to 536,400.70 euros. In previous editions, the projects of Fundación C.E.A.R., Fundación Intermón-Oxfam and COCEMFE were beneficiaries, in 2003. Fundación Ayuda en Acción, Fundación Save The Children and Cruz Roja in 2002. In 2001, the projects of Fundación Vicente Ferrer, Fundación Inter Network and Setem Catalonia.

Its work has been recognized during the 2004 financial year with the European Environment Award for the company. The award, awarded by the Entorno Foundation and supported by the European Commission, the Ministry of Science and Technology of Spain and the Spanish Society of Industrial Participations, recognizes the efforts of Grupo Eroski to achieve development compatible with the preservation of the environment and the increase in social well-being.

Likewise, Grupo Eroski has edited its Sustainability Report following the standards dictated by the Global Reporting Initiative and AENOR. The Report is the first published by a distribution company in Spain and has been prepared in accordance with the GRI2002 methodology, which offers an economic, social and environmental vision of the company's activity.

Brands

Eroski has several brands for its products:

• EroskiGeneral.
• Eroski Basic: basic brand.
• Eroski Master: traditional charcuterie products.
• Eroski Natur: natural food products (meat, fish, fruit).
• Eroski Traditional flavors: food products with Denomination of Origin.
• Eroski Sannia: healthy food products.
• Eroski Seleqtia: select food products.
• Belle: perfumery.
• Man by Belle: perfumery for men.
• Belle Professional: hair products.

It also has other brands that are only available in Eroski hypermarkets:

• Ecron: appliances.
• Good.: textile.
• Cherokee: child textile.
• Romester: sports products.

One of their characteristics is that Eroski brand products include their name and various separate information in Spanish, Basque, Catalan and Galician.

Presence on the Internet

The Eroski Group has a varied presence on the internet, where you can find, in addition to its official website, a consumer portal in Spanish, Basque, Catalan and Galician; a portal for online shopping;

At the same time, a consumer magazine is published in paper and online versions.

Commercial network

In 2010, the Eroski commercial network in Spain had:

• 115 hypermarkets "Eroski"
• 1,042 supermarkets "Eroski Center", "Caprabo" and "Eroski City".
• 3 supermarkets "Eroski Merca".
• The Supermarket "Eroski Online", online food purchase service.
• 280 offices "Eroski Viajes".
• 52 gas stations.
• 44 sport shops "Forum Sport".
• 5 leisure and culture shops "ABAC".
• 28 distribution platforms.
• Mobile Phone Operator ("Eroski Mobile").

584 franchised self-service stores are added to this network.

In May 2007 it acquired 75% of the Caprabo Group, which has maintained more than 300 stores in Catalonia and Madrid. From that date, Caprabo supermarkets began to replace their Caprabo brand products with Eroski brand products.

It partnered with the French group Intermarché, also known as 'The Musketeers', and Edeka (Germany) creating an International Alliance for joint negotiation and purchasing.

From the end of 2007 until 2018, Eroski participated in the mobile telephone business, acting as a virtual mobile operator (OMV) with the Eroski Móvil brand.

Hypermarkets

List of hypermarkets Eroski

Autonomous Community	Province	Hypermarkets	Municipalities	Total hypermarkets
Andalusia	Malaga	2	Málaga, Vélez-Málaga	2
Cantabria	Cantabria	1	Castro-Urdiales	1
Castilla y León	León	1	La Bañeza	1
Galicia	The Coruña	3	Betanzos, Noya, Santiago de Compostela	7
	Lugo	2	Ribadeo
	Pontevedra	2	Nigran, Poyo, Puenteareas
La Rioja	La Rioja	1	Calahorra	1
Navarra	Navarra	2	Pamplona, Tudela	2
Basque Country	Álava	4	Llodio, Rivabellosa, Vitoria (2)	22
	Guipuzcoa	8	Azcoitia, Éibar, Mondragón, Ordizia, San Sebastian, Tolosa, Usúrbil, Zarauz
	Vizcaya	10	Baracaldo, Basauri, Berango, Bilbao, Durango, Guernica and Luno, Lejona (2), Portugalete, Zalla
Spain				36

Gas stations

List of Eroski gas stations

Autonomous Community	Province	Gasolineras	Municipalities	Total gas stations
Andalusia	Province of Malaga	1	Vélez-Málaga	1
Aragon	Huesca Province	1	Jaca	1
Asturias	Asturias	2	Navia, Siero	2
Cantabria	Cantabria	1	Castro-Urdiales	1
Castilla y León	Province of León	1	La Bañeza	1
Catalonia	Gerona Province	1	Figueras	1
Galicia	Province of La Coruña	1	Noya	3
	Lugo Province	2	Lugo, Ribadeo
Balearic Islands	Balearic Islands	3	Binisalem, La Puebla, San Luis	3
La Rioja	La Rioja	1	Calahorra	1
Navarra	Navarra	4	Estella, Pamplona, Peralta, Tudela	4
Basque Country	Province of Álava	4	Llodio, Rivabellosa, Vitoria (2)	19
	Province of Guipúzcoa	6	Azcoitia, Mondragón, Ordizia, San Sebastian, Usúrbil, Vergara
	Vizcaya Province	9	Abbotiño, Baracaldo, Basauri, Elorrio, Górliz, Lejona (2), Portugalete, Zalla
Spain				37

Optics

Eroski optics lists

Autonomous Community	Province	Optics	Municipalities	Total optics
Andalusia	Province of Malaga	1	Vélez-Málaga	1
Navarra	Navarra	1	Pamplona	1
Basque Country	Province of Álava	1	Vitoria	9
	Province of Guipúzcoa	3	Mondragón, San Sebastian, Usúrbil
	Vizcaya Province	5	Abbotiño, Basauri, Guecho, Lejona, Portugalete
Spain				11

Old Eroski hypermarkets

• Andalusia (12): Alcalá de Guadaira, AlgecirasAntequera, Chiclana de la Frontera, Córdoba, Fuengirola, Lebrija, Montilla, Morón de la Frontera, Osuna, Roquetas de Mar and Utrera.

• Aragon (3): Huesca, Jaca and Zaragoza.

• Asturias (2): Lugones and Pola de Siero.

• Castilla-La Mancha (8): Albacete, Azuqueca de Henares, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, Guadalajara, ManzanaresTomelloso and Toledo

• Cantabria (1): Malian.

• Castilla y León (3): Segovia, Valladolid and Zamora.

• Catalonia (16): Amposta, Cornellá de Llobregat, San Cugat del Vallés, San Felíu de Llobregat, Tarragona Tarrasa, Granollers*, Figueras* Abrera* El Masnou*Altafulla(2)** Calafell* El Vendrell (2) Les Preses* and Mollet del Vallès*

• Autonomous city of Ceuta (1): Ceuta.

• Autonomous city of Melilla (1): Melilla.

• Community of Madrid (9): Alcobendas, Fuenlabrada, Leganés, Madrid (2), Majadahonda, Pinto, Torrelodones and Valdemoro.

• Valencian Community (17): Alcoy, Alqueria de la Condesa, Benicarló, Burjasot, Carcagente, Cullera, Denia, Gandía, Játiva (3), Ondara, Onteniente, Orihuela, Santa Pola Vall de Uxó and Elche

• Extremadura (1): Cáceres

• Galicia (3): La Coruña and Lugo

• Balearic Islands (3): Palma de Mallorca San Lorenzo del Cardezar and Son Cotoner

• Canary Islands (1): Jinamar.

• La Rioja (1): Logroño.

• Basque Country (1): Vitoria.

• Region of Murcia (8): Eagles, Cartagena, Lorca (2), Molina de Segura, Murcia (2) and San Javier

Currently they are:

• Family Cash: Alcalá de Guadaira Chiclana de la Frontera Lebrija Montilla Morón de la Frontera Osuna Utrera Parque Imperial Zaragoza Azuqueca de Henares Guadalajara Tomelloso Melilla
• Carrefour: Algeciras Antequera Fuengirola Roquetas de Mar Huesca Jaca Lugones Ciudad Real Cuenca Manzanares Maliaño Valladolid Segovia Cornellá de Llobregat San Cugat del Vallés Tarrasa Ceuta Logroño
• Supeco: Córdoba
• Unoperated: Pola de Siero, Alcobendas, Cartagena, Elche, Jinámar
• Mercadona: Albacete, Cáceres
• Merca China: Amposta.
• Leroy Merlin: San Felíu de Llobregat.
• Bonpreu: Tarragona.
• Caprabo: Granollers, Figueras, Abrera, El Masnou
• Alcampo: Leganés, Fuenlabrada
• Lidl: Toledo
• E.Leclerc: Majadahonda, Pinto, Valdemoro

The Catalan hypermarkets that have an asterisk (*) continue to belong to the Eroski group although they now do so under the Caprabo brand. The Altafulla hypermarket (**) was divided into two, one part belongs to the Eroski group 50%, which is called Caprabo, and the other part belongs to another operator.

Subordinated Financial Contributions Eroski (AFSE) and FAGOR (AFSF)

Both Eroski and Fagor have been involved in the scandal of their Subordinated Financial Contributions. These contributions were marketed in 2002, 2004 and 2007.

These were sold by the placement entities (BBVA, Santander and especially Caja Laboral) as a "fixed term" recoverable in 24-48 hours. The problem has arisen when those who entrusted their savings to the salespeople of their banking entities so that they could put them in the AFSE have tried to recover their money and have found that these contributions are quoted on the SEND market and they have lost more than 60% of their money. worth. According to Eroski, it always offered all the necessary investment information, and blames the issuing entities for the lack of information offered to clients.

These contributions, for many years, have offered their holders much higher interests than those offered by the market. During this period of emergence there were no complaints, but due to the crisis, these interest rates decreased and created the problem in which the placement entities have found themselves involved. In January 2014, a Court annulled these subordinated shares and held BBVA responsible.