KESPRO TO OPEN A NEW TYPE WHOLESALE OUTLET IN THE METROPOLITAN AREA

Kespro’s wholesale outlet will be opened in the premises of 12,000 m² in Tammisto, Vantaa. It will operate on seven days a week, 20 hours a day. Customers can place orders either by Internet, phone or fax. Each customer has two contact persons. The same drivers take care of daily deliveries through regular routes, which still increases the accuracy of deliveries and improves service.

The pilot phase of Kespro’s Internet service was started in Jyväskylä last autumn. In April 2001, the service will be expanded to all delivery customers in the area of Jyväskylä. After this, the service will be rapidly expanded to other areas in Finland. After the new wholesale outlet in Vantaa has been opened, the Internet service is extended to the area of Greater Helsinki. The www.kespro.com service provides customers with a quick ordering tool, which rationalises the deliveries of wholesale outlets to customers. Kespro’s customers include restaurants, service stations, kiosks, bakeries, industry and other catering customers.

The area of the temperature-controlled refrigerated space in the Tammisto premises is over 3,000 m² , including five temperatures. An unbroken cold chain is guaranteed by transport lorries that are divided into two temperature areas.

Products are reprocessed, when necessary, as requested by customers. Employees handle and prepare the meat in the way that it is ready for cooking and make salads ready for use. There is a wide assortment of fish products, which are delivered to customers reliably at a fast delivery rhythm. The abundance of fresh foods and meat and fish is a new feature in these operations. Customers can also order clearly smaller sales lots as before. The new wholesale outlet also offers Kespro’s wide selection of alcohol beverages, including the best wines.

Kespro Ltd is a Kesko subsidiary, which carries on wholesale trade in Finland and provides delivery and cash-and-carry services to catering and food retailing customers and to bakeries and industry. Kespro’s operations are formed of 6 sales areas, a nationwide chain sales unit and 20 cash-and-carry outlets. Kespro’s net sales were about EUR 0.8 billion (FIM 4.6 billion) and number of personnel is about 700.