There are 310 supermarkets located all over Andalusia, except for the provinces of Jaen and Almeria, and a Cash & Carry in the town of Lepe, in Huelva.
CPR has over three million boxes within the system that it uses to provision the suppliers immediately.
“El Jamón supermarkets date back to 1966, when my father-in-law established a small business in the market square in Lepe. A business, which continued to grow until reaching what it is today,” explains Moli Oria Contreras, Expansion Manager at the food chain.
Along with Moli Oria are the Managers of the fruit and vegetable department, José Manuel Rodríguez and Jonathan Tinoco, who talked to us about the logistic advantages of working with CPR.
Jonathan Tinoco: What does working with the returnable provider CPR mean for El Jamón supermarkets?
We have previously had some bad experiences, but since we opted for this provider in 2021 things have taken a turn for the better. CPR inspires great confidence in us. The way it operates is very simple. Even when faced with an unexpected demand, the response is very fast. We have seen that our suppliers are very happy with the system.
José Manuel Rodríguez: What are the keys to CPR’s success as a logistics provider?
I would underscore that it is a simple system; however, there is also the financial matter, as our suppliers do not have to pay any deposit and they work with net, closed prices, with just one invoice per month.
Jonathan Tinoco: What is your valuation of the new design of the boxes, which have changed from green to a wood colour?
Very positive. And the best of all is that the colour coincides with the new refurbishment of the fixtures and fittings in the stores; therefore, we will have a feeling of uniformity. And this is merely a coincidence. Little by little, we are refurbishing all the supermarkets and at the beginning of the New Year we will start to use the new wood-coloured boxes.
José Manuel Rodríguez: Are the logistics of the boxes closely related to space-saving?
Of course; the system makes up a great advantage in terms of space and cleaning, with standard-sized boxes that collapse very well and do not take up much room. It is a very important point because we work with over 200 references.
Jonathan Tinoco: Regarding sizes, what advantages do CPR’s boxes offer compared to other systems?
The bases are the same, 60×40, but the heights are variable in order to be able to adapt to any type of product. When working with fresh produce, such as fruit and vegetables, the most important factor lies in keeping it fresh, and this is achieved by a fast turnover. That is to say, the sales capacity that the store has is adapted to the time it takes to supply the produce when the box becomes empty. CPR’s boxes adapt to the turnover of any type of shop, and they are also highly ventilated boxes, an important aspect to consider.
José Manuel Rodríguez: Are the containers used directly from the fields or from the fruit and vegetable packaging centre?
There is a little bit of everything. For grapes and plums in particular, we work directly from the fields, and it is very positive for us as the produce gains in freshness as it does not lose the layer of dust that freshly-harvested fruit has.
