“Fair and constructive business partnerships“

Edra/Ghin and Hima jointly appeal to the industry

"We must all work together in a fair and practical manner," John W. Herbert (l.) and Ralf Rahmede say.
"We must all work together in a fair and practical manner," John W. Herbert (l.) and Ralf Rahmede say.
01.04.2020

With a joint statement, the international industry associations Edra/Ghin - for trade - and Hima - for manufacturers - have appealed to all stakeholders that fair and constructive business partnerships are a necessity in these turbulent times. We are documenting the joint statement here as download as well as immediately following this report.
The press release further states: Covid-19 is having an unprecedented impact on supply chains around the world. In order to maintain a steady supply of goods to consumers globally, retailers and manufacturers must collaborate and work together to find practical solutions.
In their joint statement both John Herbert, general secretary of Edra/Ghin, and Ralf Rahmede, General Manager of Hima, have highlighted that solutions that consider all parties have to be sought. Moreover, they are convinced that the home improvement industry should aim to reduce disruptions caused by Covid-19 as much as possible and act as an example to other industries.
John W. Herbert, general secretary Edra/Ghin, stated: "Our members around the world are confronting the impacts of Covid-19 through store closures, restricted opening hours and difficulty in keeping goods stocked, to name a few impacts. Suppliers and retailers must come together in this extremely difficult time."
Ralf Rahmede, general manager Hima, expressed: "This is a challenging phase. Our members are working around the clock and pursuing all methods to ensure supply chain disruptions and bottlenecks are avoided. Working multilaterally is the best way to overcome any obstacles. We sincerely encourage everyone to stay fair with each other and to respect contractual agreements."
The statement in its full wording:
The home improvement industry working together in the age of Covid-19
The European DIY-Retail Association (Edra), the Global Home Improvement Network (Ghin) and the Home Improvement Manufacturers Association (Hima) acknowledge the effects and the extraordinary breadth of the current worldwide Covid-19 epidemic and the impact the virus is having on the lives and health of its citizens. They are also of the belief that life and health have, and always will have, preference over any economic interests.
Companies all over the globe are aware of the impact of Covid-19 on the supply chain and in particular on the production of goods in China and its ability to supply the global markets. Today, Covid-19 poses a risk to supply chains all over the world. It is therefore essential that all stakeholders in the supply chain work together to continue to supply our consumers with products with the least disruption possible. At the same time, we must take every measure to protect our consumers and employees from infection of Covid-19.
We believe, that in this most unpredictable situation, we must all work together in a fair and practical manner. Only by working together can we ensure the best results in bringing essential goods to consumers around the world.
The dependence on production from China varies from company to company. When goods are not available from China, manufacturers and suppliers must do all they can to find procurement alternatives to try and fulfil their contractual obligations with their contract partners and must inform them of any delivery bottlenecks or supply chain disruptions.
We are calling upon stakeholders in the supply chain network to find sensible solutions in the event of possible delivery bottlenecks and supply chains disruptions during this most difficult period, and not resort immediately to legal means. The ability, openness and flexibility to offer alternative products at short notice, and to avoid panic-buying, can help ensure a comprehensive supply of products to consumers.
In summary, we are only able to reduce the risks in the supply of products if we all work together. Constructive and fair partnerships from all supply chain stakeholders will enable this, and by doing so, we will be able to continue to fulfil the needs of the consumer.
John W. Herbert, general secretary Edra/Ghin
Ralf Rahmede, general manager Hima
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