LANDI Switzerland

Purchasing

Purchasing principles

Quality, price and choice

LANDI Switzerland focuses on quality, price and choice as its procurement criteria. Quality is deliberately given the top priority among these criteria. The aim is to develop a business relationship with the suppliers on a basis of partnership and mutual trust. This guarantees an optimal purchasing and procurement strategy that is geared to seasonal changes. Quality and price levels are monitored intensively and are always compared with the strongest competitors. Negotiations are conducted exclusively on the basis of cost prices.

Wherever possible and reasonable, the goods are procured directly from the producer. The purchasing advantages influence product development and sales prices.

Over 50 % of all products originate from Swiss suppliers
Additional goods are procured in Europe and from overseas
Goods are procured from about 1'000 suppliers across the globe

International goods procurement

LANDI Switzerland is a member of Intercoop House & Garden, the international purchasing organisation, which has a total of 13 members in nine European countries. Together, they operate about 4'000 stores

Social responsibility

We adhere to the amfori BSCI Code of Conduct for the international procurement of goods. This obliges suppliers and producers along the entire value chain to comply with, implement and continuously improve minimum social standards. Independent specialists regularly check that the Code of Conduct is being upheld. This includes the following 11 core employment laws:

The right to freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining
Appropriate remuneration
Occupational safety
Special protection for young workers
No forced labour
Ethical trade
No discrimination
Reasonable working hours
No child labour
No precarious employment
Environmental protection

Further information at: amfori BSCI Code of Conduct.

Delivery conditions

LANDI Switzerlands suppliers are obliged to comply with strict conditions. These delivery conditions govern the contractual relations between LANDI Switzerland and its suppliers.

Logistics

LANDI Switzerland handles the entire logistics chain for LANDI stores, from procurement and admission into storage through to picking. We operate two central warehouses for this purpose. One warehouse is located at our headquarters in Dotzigen and the second is in Lahr (Germany). In the transportation logistics segment, LANDI Switzerland collaborates with Traveco, the transport enterprise which is one of our sister companies in the fenaco-LANDI Group, and also with Fiege, a transport company which has been our partner for many years.

The warehouses are specifically designed to handle LANDI's range. For example, large volumes of goods can be transhipped and admitted to storage in these facilities. The warehouses also offer space for bulky goods.

Warehouse in Dotzigen

32 ramps
55'000 pallet spaces
35'000 m² of logistics area
automated container and pallet storage facility

LANDI Switzerland has operated a warehouse in Dotzigen since 1989, and this facility has grown steadily in recent years.

Warehouse in Lahr (DE)

33 ramps
45'000 pallet spaces
43'300 m² of logistics area
Large storage capacities in 3 halls

The warehouse in Lahr (Germany) belongs to LahrLogistics, a joint venture between fenaco (the Swiss agricultural cooperative) and ZG Raiffeisen (the central cooperative for the region). Since November 2018, it has provided additional storage capacity for LANDI Switzerland. LahrLogistics is thus an ideal complement to LANDI Switzerlands logistics base in Dotzigen.

Warehouse and logistics centre TRAVECO – Nebikon

42’000 pallet spaces
23’000 m² of logistics area
2’300 m² Swiss Finish

Since 1990 LANDI Switzerland procures transport and logistics services from TRAVECO Transporte AG.

LANDI Switzerlands Logistics Department handles operative purchasing and coordinates goods receiving in the warehouses. Over one quarter of the goods are delivered directly to LANDI stores by the suppliers, including items such as beverages and soils.

The pallets with the articles are unloaded in Goods Receiving, where they undergo checks on quality and quantity. The goods are then prepared for admission to storage.

After passing through Goods Receiving, the products are then placed in storage with the help of an automatic conveyor system. A total of about 55'000 pallet storage spaces are available at Dotzigen. 31'500 of these spaces are located in the automated high-bay storage facility. The pallets are stored on any one of ten levels spread over a total height of 26 meters.

The high-bay facility is operated by 14 storage and retrieval units. In addition, selected goods are stored in the manually-operated pallet warehouse, bulky goods are placed in the cantilever warehouse and small items are stocked in shelving racks.

The automated container storage facility provides 24,000 container spaces. Small items and spare parts for various appliances are stored here.

The purpose of the picking process is to make the ordered goods ready for each individual store. Voice-controlled wireless technology (Pick-by-Voice) guides employees to the article locations.

Two picking shifts are operated to cope with the huge volumes. Employees are expected to be highly flexible because the order situation is subject to seasonal fluctuations.

In this phase, the picked goods are consolidated to make the truck routes as efficient as possible. After the loading inspection, the pallets are handed over to the carrier for shipping.

LANDI stores benefit from efficient logistics. About 70 trucks leave the Dotzigen warehouse every day. When capacity utilisation is high, up to 30 trucks leave the warehouse in Lahr every day. Two transportation companies (Traveco and Fiege) handle these transits. Every LANDI store receives goods deliveries once or twice per week.

Product service

LANDI's customers benefit from a five-year guarantee on many of the products they purchase. If a repair becomes necessary or a service is required, customers can leave their equipment or vehicles at the LANDI store. A service order is assigned to the item before it is shipped directly to our Service Centre in Dotzigen. The service or repair is then completed and the equipment or vehicle will be returned to the LANDI store via the carrier service. In this way, LANDI offers its customers a fast, simple and fair service.

LANDI Switzerlands Service Centre employs around 50 qualified staff who include mechanics specialising in equipment, bicycles and motorcycles, logistics professionals in our own spare parts warehouse, and administrative specialists. Temporary employees increase this number during the high season in spring to cope with the many orders.

The administrative section answers questions about service orders or the operation of equipment. This allows LANDI store employees to clarify any uncertainties quickly so they can provide professional information for their customers.

Go to our Service Offers

Components workshop

Around 20 employees handle repairs and servicing of small appliances. These include various household appliances, lawn mowers and agricultural equipment. Some 41'000 orders are processed throughout the year here.

Mobility

Around 13 mechanics are employed in the workshop for bicycles, e-bikes, scooters and electric vehicles for senior citizens. They perform small-scale and major services, and they also coordinate registration of the vehicles.

Marketing

LANDI Switzerlands Marketing Department is responsible for range planning, product promotion and the positioning of the LANDI brand. This department also provides sales support and training for LANDI store employees, and it coordinates the construction of new stores and store conversion projects.

Our Planning Department develops product management concepts for all the LANDI stores and for the Online Shop at landi.ch. These concepts are coordinated with the Purchasing, Logistics and Marketing Departments.

Basic planning and space planning

The Basic Planning section develops the basic principles for the range offered in LANDI stores, together with goods management concepts. A specific position in the sales area is planned for the individual articles in each LANDI store. For example, promoted articles are placed in more prominent positions.

The staff in our Space Planning section assist LANDI stores with implementing the basic planning concepts, and they help to ensure that goods are permanently available. Direct dialogue between the LANDI stores and LANDI Switzerland also enables ongoing development of the goods management concepts.

Promotional planning

Promotional planning involves planning the articles to be advertised. This process defines precisely which articles will be promoted in connection with which theme or topic. Attention is paid here to ensure that our proprietary brands are given sufficient emphasis and that seasonal themes are also included.

eCommerce

The eCommerce section ensures the smooth operation and ongoing development of the LANDI Online Shop. This unit also acts as the article management interface in the Online Shop for all LANDI Switzerlands departments.

The Communication Department is responsible for ensuring a successful presence for LANDI's retail trade brand so that they are optimally positioned on the Swiss market. The Corporate Communication, Proprietary Brands and Product Communication sections of the Communication Department are at work every day to generate enthusiasm for LANDI among the Swiss public.

Corporate Communication

IEmployees in Corporate Communication are responsible for information exchange between LANDI Switzerland and the LANDI stores, and also for external communication with various stakeholders such as media, institutions and sponsorship partners. In addition, this team develops concepts and activities to position the LANDI retail trade brand in the market.

Proprietary Brands Communication

The Proprietary Brands Communication section is responsible for LANDI's proprietary brands, about 30 in number: this responsibility includes developing a brand essence that differentiates these products and ensuring that it is integrated into the presence for each proprietary brand. Various seasonal campaigns are also devised and managed here.

Product Communication

Employees in the Product Communication section are responsible for optimal product descriptions in all output media, including pricing posters, gazette entries and the Online Shop. An important part is played here by information about the article – from correct and complete descriptions through to illustrations.

Overview of current advertising materials

The Sales Department provides support for employees in LANDI stores and is the link between the stores and LANDI Switzerland. The Sales Department is also responsible for customer service.

Inhouse sales force

Employees in the in-house sales force answer questions from store employees about goods orders, complaints and product information, and they perform administrative tasks for the entire department.

Field sales force

The regional sales managers in our field sales force travel to LANDI stores every day. They make sure that LANDI stores implement the concepts and requirements defined by LANDI Switzerland and that the stores can guarantee the availability of goods. They also provide support for LANDI stores with sales area design and product placement in connection with seasonal themes.

Internal purchasing fair

The trade fair team organises an internal sales fair twice each year. This fair is attended by LANDI store staff. The fair gives them an overview of new products, and they can (for example) order goods for their upcoming activities.

Customer service

Our customer service staff answer questions from LANDI customers about goods orders or information on products.

Our Expansion Department plans and implements conversion projects for LANDI stores as well as the construction of new stores. The objective is to create optimum conditions for in-store sales. Depending on the particular construction project, we collaborate with different partners from the market analysis phase all the way through to opening. The Expansion Department ensures that all the necessary services are provided and handles coordination among the partner companies.

All conversions and new construction projects are implemented according to a concept that is predefined by LANDI Switzerland. This concept provides for stores with open space where customers have a good overview of the products, clear customer guidance and digital facilities so that customers can obtain information on specific products.

LANDI employees benefit from a dedicated training department: the LANDI Forum. This department organises courses, seminars and workshops tailored to the needs of employees in LANDI stores. Its employees are a company’s most valuable asset. That is why competent and motivated co-entrepreneurs remain the primary goal of training. United by common values, they form a strong community.

"Training in Motion" and "Discovery Learning" are the watchwords as about 2'000 employees as well as 100 apprentice retail trade specialists and assistants are trained each year in German and French. Apprentices benefit from training in their own LANDI branch.

Goal-oriented training, excellent specialist skills and an infectious passion for LANDI: these are the attributes that help the staff of the LANDI Forum to develop the potential of store employees so that they can become LANDI co-entrepreneurs.

Range of training

The LANDI Forum organises the learning activities in the format of digital modules, classroom training and events. Over 60 examination and testing experts as well as 200 presenters participate in providing the range of training we offer. The training range comprises two sections with different products:

Adult education

Introductory modules for new employees
Specialist courses (training on products and goods management processes)
Management modules
Diploma examinations and diploma events
Function-based workshops

LANDI basic training for the sector

Introductory module for new apprentices/trainees
Industry-wide courses (product knowledge)
Management module in basic training
Practical examinations/tests
Diploma event
Training courses for examination specialists and presenters

Philosophy

The LANDI Forum trains LANDI employees according to LANDI Switzerlands principles and strategy. Course design focuses specifically on these five principles:

Pleasantly unlike all the others
Natural inspiration for everyone
Efficient and professional
Focused on requirements
Quality instead of quantity

Do you have any questions about the training opportunities offered by LANDI Switzerland? If so, please contact the LANDI Forum at landi.forum@landischweiz.ch (for adult education) or grundbildung@landischweiz.ch (for basic training).