Shell and Lekkerland have been partners on an international level for more than 30 years . We talked to Patrick Steppe , Chief Executive Officer of Lekkerland AG & Co . KG , about the secret of successful cooperation like this .

What distinguishes the relationship between Shell and Lekkerland ? We both really want this cooperation to be successful and everybody involved does everything necessary to make it happen . One example are the international quality standards we set . We committed on these common standards and every Lekkerland employee in every country performs them precisely .

To Lekkerland it is also important to continuously improve . Change is normal . We therefore develop new solutions and services in order to support our customers even better . One example is multitemperature logistics that we introduced from 2012 on . Today , we are able to deliver all products – ambient , fresh and frozen – to Shell filling stations in just one stop . This reduces not only the kilometres driven , it also saves time and temporal expenditure for the shops .

Which additional services do you offer – to Shell and other customers ? Lekkerland is much more than just a wholesale and logistics partner . We offer solutions along the whole supply chain ( order to cash process ), including e . g . inventory management , purchasing , storage , reception and picking orders , distribution , service level monitoring and information flow . Of course , comprehensive consulting , optimising shops – e . g . through category management , shelf or range optimisation – or developing holistic shop concepts are also part of our services .

All services are tailored to meet the needs of our customers . As a 360 degree service partner we are able to offer Shell all product categories from a single source : tobacco , food , non-food , beverages , oils and lubricants and so on . Depending on the needs of the Shell shops , we also deliver their own brands , e . g . oil . In addition , in some countries we support Shell with customised category management or the further development of food service offerings . And we are always there to consult with our long-term experience in the convenience segment .

Are there any new projects or services you currently develop for customers throughout Europe ? There always are . Lekkerland wants to offer solutions that allow its customers to stay ahead of the competition . The aim is to make shops even more appealing for end consumers and thus successful .

One example are our new holistic shop concepts that we currently test in different countries . The “ Frischwerk ” concept e . g . is a solution for filling station shops in Germany . The shops have a very attractive atmosphere and a design that is totally new for filling stations . We integrated a complete bakery and a broad range of fresh products as smoothies or salads . There are also digital focus walls with advertising that changes depending on the time of day . However , it is not only outer appearance that counts : The concept comprises all aspects that are important for the business , e . g . all hard and software , digital solutions to manage the shop , training sessions for employees , recipes for bistro products , marketing plans , category management , quality manuals and so on .