uniting JUAN LUNA & CARREFOUR with titans
Introducing a company to a new market is fraught with roadblocks. However, by providing Juan Luna with an inspiring study tour and actionable research we overcome these roadblocks and uncovered new opportunities. Our approach strengthened their existing partnership with their key stakeholder, Carrefour, whilst building new partnerships and providing an engaged network in the new market. Our approach to collaboration and network building proved hugely successful for Juan Luna opening doors and facilitating meetings with individuals they may not have had access to without activating their own core network.
juan luna & carrefour
valencia, spain
245 employees
FMCG Suppliers & Retail
Juan Luna is a European market leader in pre-packaged meats and cheeses, with an aggregate turnover of €56.5m and 245 workers. Founded in 1989 the company has strategically focused on cheese and meat packaging to become a vanguard in the retail industry resulting in a major acquisition of the brand in 2022 by Costa Food Group to drive further development and opportunities.
Top Challenges
- Exploring the UK market to enter it for the first time
- Convincing major retailers to see JL as a potential new supplier
- Discovering new innovations across smaller stores
- Difficulty networking outside of Spain
Why Cosaris?
- Approached by AECOC member organisation to provide support to one of its members
- Our years of retail industry knowledge and UK partnership network
- A unique approach to research and presenting data
- Our focus on collaboration and impact value
Key project successes
- An inspirational study tour connecting Juan Luna with its own customer, Carrefour, alongside key UK stakeholders and experts
- An innovative research project and strategic roadmap, fruitful networking event which opened business opportunities from the outset
- Productive data for Juan Luna to enter a new market
THEIR CHALLENGE
Juan Luna was keen to enter the UK food market but with very few contacts in the region and little awareness of their brand, they faced an uphill struggle in showcasing their products. The senior management at Juan Luna, wanted a strong market overview of UK highlighting key players, market shares, strategies, and sustainability, they were also keen to discover the position and performance of branded and Private Label products in stores across the country. Finally, they wanted to understand strategies, innovation, packaging solutions and branding of manufacturer and retailer brands in the Cheese and Charcuterie categories across the UK. Overall, it was an ambitious challenge and one which need a great deal of openness and candour from store managers and targeted department heads at all those unique stores.
A BESPOKE SOLUTION
Following our impactful work delivering study tours and research for member organisation AECOC, they approached us to support one of their members to enter the UK market. We conducted 360º research incorporating Juan Luna’s three main areas of focus and co-ordinated the basis of a full study tour for their leadership team to engage with UK retailers and how they operate and network with UK stores. However, we discovered a major obstacle with large UK retailers not keen to host site visits without an incentive or a marketable hook. We know that the answers we seek are usually at our fingertips so we collaborated with Juan Luna to engage their network and were able to connect with one of their customers, Carrefour, a key player in the global retail industry.
A new venture
With this partnership of Juan Luna and Carrefour, we were able to setup meetings with almost every major UK retailer as well as planning a fully immersive study tour and opportunities to build relationships with journalists, start-ups and innovators. Cosaris provided the groundwork for Juan Luna to gain first-hand experience, deepen their relationship with their customer Carrefour, meet the most impactful decision-makers and build a design and pricing strategy suited to success in the UK market.
A 360º CONNECTION
Learning
You can master any field if you remain open to learning and listen to experts.
For Juan Luna and Carrefour we delivered dedicated research, targeted industry overviews based on their UK objectives and a chance to learn from renowned industry experts. Cosaris created a working environment to build a full strategic overview of the UK retail market as well as the design, positioning, pricing structure and marketing across the needs and wants of Juan Luna in the UK.
To do this we engaged our wide partner network to collaborate with us. These partnerships provided resources from all the key retailers across the UK, showcasing samples from Private Label and branded categories to deliver first-hand experience and understanding of the current state of the marketplace.
The learning tool allowed Juan Luna to build a consolidated strategy based on the findings as well as learn from the leading experts with access to the industry titans’ data, resulting in a clear roadmap for them to follow.
Collaboration
One of the keys to collaboration is understanding how every stakeholder can work together with a shared goal.
However, it can sometimes be tricky to get the ball rolling if all parties are unaware of the goals and what that shared goal can mean for themselves. With Juan Luna we knew that if they engaged their existing network they could make the prospect of meeting with major UK FMCG retailers far more impactful.
For retail giants like Tesco, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s It wouldn't make sense to simply meet and show around every single potential supplier and provide insights for them, however the prospect of collaborating with a brand which partners with European titan Carrefour is a more enticing prospect.
By showcasing what collaboration can bring to each stakeholder and how their respective networks can work towards shared goals for all of them, the opportunities of small brands providing for major retailers becomes more evident and the 360º nature of a productive network is made more real.
Engagement
Autonomy over your vision can be the difference between success and failure.
Due to the unique nature of Juan Luna’s exploration to entering the UK market, we wanted to ensure they were not just being given data or contacts to try to make headway, we wanted them to be part of the process and in doing so provide them with the greatest tool of all, engagement.
Our partnership helped Juan Luna engage their own network and cooperate with one of their key accounts, Carrefour, to strengthen their shared relationship and achieve wider market reach together.
Leveraging their network opened significant doors with major retailers and ensured that both Juan Luna and Carrefour could engage with the most impactful decision makers in the UK market.
Experiences
When we combine the right experience with the right people, magic is created!
For Juan Luna and Carrefour we ensured that not only did they receive a first-hand, bespoke tour across major retail units and innovative store showcases, but we also helped them experience it with the right people to share expertise and who would provide the most impact for them.
From Category buyers, Private Label buyers and Store Managers, across Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsburys, Morrisons and more, to game-changers at smaller flagship stores and non-food related shops to showcase ideas they may not have considered, everyone added value to their visit.
We also brought their experience to life with tours and networking opportunities with industry experts, such as the Editor of Food Magazine, a major publication in the UK, and the Head of the Meat and Charcuterie Board Association.
Cosaris truly connected Juan Luna with the right people who could make a difference to their UK strategy but also enabled impactful relationships for the long-term.
