With the inevitable closure of the Düsseldorf wholesale market, Bidi GmbH began an intensive search for a new home. Shortly before the turn of the year 2024/2025, the established family business moved into a new, modern hall on the northern outskirts of Hilden – just a few kilometers away from its colleagues at the new wholesale market in the City Dock industrial park. However, the ambitious growth plans could not have been realized at the old location.
© Hugo Huijbers | HortiDaily.com
Yusuf (left) and his father, Yunis Bidi, are the driving forces behind the successful family business.
"We looked at around 20 locations, both in Düsseldorf itself and here in the Hilden area. For us, it wasn't so much the size of the space that was decisive, but the representativeness and future viability of the entire building. At our current location, we can continue to grow in a healthy and structured manner in the coming years," says Yusuf Bidi (28), who officially took over the position of managing director from his father, Yunis, at the same time as the move.
© Hugo Huijbers | HortiDaily.com
Yusuf Bidi and Oguzhan Özer show the two main Turkish brands of Bidi GmbH, namely Hatipoglu and Günes. "Bidi GmbH invests heavily in international relations and direct imports from over ten countries of origin. Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, and Turkey, in particular, are among our strongest partnerships. Through direct contact with producers, we not only achieve better quality but also more stable prices for our customers."
Broader range – from basic to premium
As part of the succession process, the entire corporate structure was also redefined. Bidi: "We had to overcome this wholesale market mentality, so to speak. One of my personal goals was to expand the range of products on offer (as reported by FreshPlaza.de). We have already achieved this by focusing more than ever on direct imports. The best example is our range of exotic products, which we have expanded considerably and store in a separate cold storage facility under optimal conditions. Our product range strategy is based on being able to offer every type of customer several quality and price levels. We carry premium brands in the exotic sector as well as price-conscious alternatives in our basic range. This flexibility enables us to quickly compensate for market changes. Basically, we offer various alternatives for almost every single item, whether it's brands, varieties, or origins. This would not have been possible in a classic wholesale market structure. In addition, at our old location, we always had to adjust our prices to some extent to the local competition, whereas now we can operate independently in our price calculations."
© Bidi GmbH
Facade of the company headquarters on the Hildener Nordring. The hall, with a total capacity of 6,500 m² (including cold storage and office space), seven loading ramps, and direct access to the highway, is approximately two years old. In total, the new location has around 500 pallet spaces and approximately 50 employees.
In addition to the Bidi GmbH, the company also operates a second line of business called Bidi Feinkost GmbH. This division is dedicated to the distribution of all additional product ranges except fresh fruit and vegetables, including packaging materials, catering supplies, and delicatessen items of all kinds. The group of companies also includes several retail markets in the Rhine-Ruhr region.
Development of a logistics center
The majority of existing customers have remained loyal to the company. However, the expansion in capacity also enables the sales department to actively acquire new customers. Although pickups still account for around 60% of the total handling volume, delivery figures are rising steadily. "We currently deliver with six trucks within a radius of 100–150 km around Hilden. However, we want to invest heavily in logistics in the coming years and expand both our fleet and our team of drivers. We are also well advanced in negotiations with an external freight forwarder. This step is necessary to be able to meet the many requests from all over North Rhine-Westphalia. With the new location, we are gradually developing into a fully fledged logistics center. This includes optimized route planning, modern vehicle telemetry, an expansion of night logistics, and closer cooperation with external freight forwarders. This is also necessary if we want to continue to meet the many requests from all over North Rhine-Westphalia in the future."
Digitalization as the company's DNA
Even at the old location, the company was determined to break new ground. "Two years ago, we launched an app to bring the entire ordering process up to date and professionalize our quality control. Every product is checked sensorily and visually upon receipt. In addition, we use digital batch tracking via our app, which provides maximum transparency for both suppliers and customers. We have even managed to convince older customers of the advantages of the new system. Our app is just the beginning. We are continuously working on digital tools for order histories, price updates, promotions, returns management, and customer profiles. The goal is to completely simplify fruit and vegetable purchasing for retailers," Bidi outlines. Despite modernization, however, he has managed to create a kind of "wholesale market vibe" at the new location as well. "For those who like it, there is still the usual nighttime operation. Other customers, such as restaurateurs, on the other hand, mainly shop with us during the day."
© Hugo Huijbers | HortiDaily.com
Insight into the current goods receipt. Clockwise. Quinces and pomegranates of Turkish origin, dragon fruit or pitaya, are also sourced seasonally from Turkey, and Israeli Medjool dates are traditionally popular in winter.
Ambitious corporate vision
The clientele of the company, which was founded in the 1990s, ranges from weekly markets and restaurateurs to ethnic supermarkets. According to Bidi, the latter sales market in particular is gaining in importance. "In the medium to long term, we also want to supply regional food retail markets, either directly or via central warehouses. Otherwise, we aim to establish our own export division and our own premium brand," he concludes.
© Bidi GmbH
The management of Bidi GmbH: Mahmut Isbilir – IT representative, Yunis Bidi – senior manager, Serkan Aras – purchasing/sales, Oguzhan Özer – purchasing/sales, and Yusuf Bidi – junior manager/managing director. According to Yusuf Bidi (right), there has been an oversupply of several items this year, including domestic apples and potatoes, as well as Turkish watermelons and figs.
For more information:
Yusuf Bidi
Bidi GmbH
Diekhaus 4
40724 Hilden
Tel: +49 2103 3398071
[email protected]
www.bidigmbh.com
