Selex Gruppo Commerciale moves more pet food, litter and accessories through its aisles than almost any competitor, but the number that should interest a supplier is the compliance and logistics machine standing behind the shelf.
Selex Gruppo Commerciale: Scale, Format and Footprint
- Founded: Origins in 1964 as the voluntary union A&O; the current group was constituted in 1979 by member wholesalers and retailers.
- Founder: Not a single individual — Selex grew out of a coalition of Italian regional retailers and wholesalers; today it comprises 18 member companies.
- Headquarters: Viale Cristoforo Colombo 51, 20090 Trezzano sul Naviglio (Milan), Italy.
- Ownership: Member-company alliance; part of the ESD Italia buying group, itself affiliated with the European purchasing centre EMD.
- Scale / Revenue: 2024 turnover of €21.1 billion, up 4.5% versus 2023; 2025 target of about €22 billion (+4.3%).
- Stores: 3,329 outlets as of 30 November 2024, spanning hypermarkets, superstores, supermarkets, convenience, discount, minimarkets, pet shops, and cash & carry.
- Workforce: Approximately 33,000 employees across the group and its members.
- Market share: 15.4% of the Italian grocery market (Nielsen, 2024).
- Leadership: President Alessandro Revello; General Manager Maniele Tasca.
The snapshot shows a distributor that is large but still growing its share — a rare combination in a mature Italian grocery market where discounters and the top cooperatives are squeezing the middle. Selex’s 15.4% share (Nielsen, 2024) places it firmly second, and the group’s 4.5% turnover growth to €21.1 billion outpaced much of the sector. Importantly for suppliers, Selex is part of ESD Italia and affiliated with the European purchasing centre EMD, which gives it international negotiating leverage on branded goods and access to pan-European private-label benchmarks. The June 2024 figure of 3,329 outlets across an unusually wide format spread — from hypermarkets to pet shops — means a pet supplier can choose the exact entry point: a dedicated pet-shop banner such as Animali che Passione for specialty ranges, or supermarkets and superstores for mainstream food and hygiene volume. The federal ownership also explains the group’s resilience: because members are locally owned, they adapt fast to regional tastes while Selex central delivers scale on cost and brand.
Everyday Low Price, Engineered
Selex’s hallmark is a multi-channel, multi-banner network. Its members operate national brands such as Famila, A&O, C+C (cash & carry), Emisfero, Mega, Dok, and Elite, plus a wide set of regional banners including Alì, Mercato’, Dpiu’, Sole 365, Pan, Tigre, and Il Gigante. Each member is independently owned and manages its own stores, but purchasing, logistics, marketing, and private-label development are centralized through Selex. This “federal” model lets the group negotiate national scale while preserving local relevance — a dual dynamic suppliers must respect.
The format mix is unusually broad: 37 hypermarkets, 152 superstores/mini-hypermarkets, 414 integrated supermarkets, 1,266 supermarkets, 607 convenience stores, 398 discount stores, 347 minimarkets, 15 cash & carry outlets, and 93 pet shops, on total selling space exceeding 3.1 million square metres. For pet suppliers, the explicit pet-shop network (Animali che Passione is among the group’s pet banners) is a direct route to shelf, while the supermarkets and superstores offer mainstream pet-food and accessory volume.
Selex’s own-label business is a growth engine: in 2024 private-label (MDD) turnover rose 6.4% in value, supported by more than 8,000 references and the launch of new lines such as the high-protein sports-nutrition brand Più Pro and the restyled vegan/vegetarian range Vegetale 100%. The group’s online platform, CosìComodo, adds click-and-collect, drive-through, and home delivery across ten member brands. For pet suppliers, the CosìComodo channel is more than a fulfilment convenience: it is a data-rich environment where repeat-purchase pet items — food in bulk, litter, and subscription-friendly accessories — can be merchandised to loyal online shoppers, and where the same private-label logic that drove Più Pro and Vegetale 100% can be applied to a pet range. The lesson is that Selex’s private label is a living, expanding program with professional brand management, so suppliers should expect the same rigour — positioning, packaging, and price architecture — that Selex applies to its food and wellness lines.
The Pet Aisle at Selex Gruppo Commerciale
Pet is a structurally supported category at Selex. The group operates dedicated pet-shop outlets (Animali che Passione and others) and stocks pet food, treats, hygiene, and accessories across its supermarket and superstore estate. Because Selex’s private-label program is expanding aggressively, there is a clear opportunity for suppliers to develop exclusive own-label pet lines — particularly value, mainstream, and “premium-but-accesssible” tiers that match the group’s broad demographic reach.
The federal structure means a supplier can pursue two paths: a national private-label agreement through Selex central, or direct relationships with high-performing members (for example Famila in the centre-north or regional leaders such as Alì in the Veneto). Exporters should tailor the pitch: national buyers care about program scale and margin; regional members care about local consumer fit and speed. A pragmatic playbook is to seed the relationship through a strong regional member — proving the product on real shelf — and then use that traction to win a national private-label mandate, which then cascades across the other banners. Because Selex’s pet-shop banners already exist, a supplier with specialty credentials (grooming, nutrition, small-animal, or aquatics) can target those outlets directly, while a mainstream pet-food manufacturer should lead with the supermarket and superstore estate where weekly grocery trips drive the bulk of volume. The breadth of formats is the strategic asset: it lets a supplier phase entry from niche to mainstream rather than betting everything on a single national launch.
Passing the Selex Gruppo Commerciale Gate
- Fraud vigilance: Selex publicly warns potential suppliers about fraudulent order scams using its name. All incoming orders should be verified through the central contacts (centrale@selexgc.it; +39 02 484571) before fulfilment.
- Regulatory compliance: EU pet-food rules (FEDIAF, Regulation 2019/4, 1069/2009) and, for non-food items, CE marking and REACH. Italian-language labelling is essential.
- Certifications: BRCGS/IFS for food suppliers; robust traceability and batch control.
- Private-label readiness: Ability to produce under Selex own brands with consistent quality and competitive cost.
- Approach: Engage the central supplier relations function for national programs; maintain local account coverage for key members. Supply terms, logistics into the Italian network, and promotional support are central to winning ranging.
Beyond the checklist, two practical points dominate Selex supplier engagement. First, the group’s public fraud warning is not a formality: scammers impersonate Selex to solicit fake orders, so every purchase order must be verified through the official central contacts (centrale@selexgc.it; +39 02 484571) before any goods or production are committed. Building this verification step into your order-to-cash process protects both parties. Second, Selex’s federal buying means a supplier’s commercial team must be structured for dual coverage — a central key-account manager for the MDD program and field account managers who maintain relationships with the member companies. Suppliers that treat Selex as a single account will miss the regional upside; those that resource both layers will capture national scale and local depth. On compliance, Italian-language labelling and EU pet-food/chemical rules are non-negotiable entry tickets, and BRCGS or IFS certification signals the food-safety maturity Selex expects from private-label partners.
2024-2026: Scale Meets Change
2024 was a milestone year: Selex celebrated its 60th anniversary and posted €21.1 billion in turnover (+4.5%), gaining market share to 15.4%. Private-label grew 6.4% in value, and the group confirmed a €490 million investment plan (later cited at €480 million) to open 67 new stores and renovate 109 existing outlets in 2025, with some sources citing up to 114 renovations. Management targets roughly €22 billion in 2025 revenue.
In early 2025 Selex launched Selex Media, described as the first truly integrated, omnichannel retail-media project in Italian grocery, capitalising on the 12 to 15 million customers who enter its stores every fortnight and around 80 million unique annual online users. This creates new co-marketing opportunities for suppliers — including pet brands — to fund targeted promotions within the Selex ecosystem.
The group is also navigating commodity-cost pressure (cocoa, coffee, dairy, and meat disease-driven inflation), which reinforces its push into value and private-label tiers where supplier cost competitiveness is decisive. For pet suppliers, the same inflation dynamic applies to proteins and packaging, so cost-competitive own-label pet food and accessories are well positioned against national brands whose prices are rising. The €480-490 million store-opening and renovation plan for 2025 — 67 new outlets plus more than a hundred refurbishments — physically expands the shelf Selex can offer suppliers, and the Selex Media retail-media network turns that footfall into a measurable, fundable promotion channel. Taken together, 2024-2026 is a window in which a well-structured pet-supplier partnership can grow with the group: new stores add doors, private-label momentum adds share, and retail media adds the marketing firepower to launch a range.
A Realistic Entry Path
- Two-track your approach: pursue national private-label via Selex central and regional listings via strong members.
- Lead with own-label capability: Selex is expanding MDD aggressively; exclusive pet lines win shelf.
- Verify every order: the group’s public fraud warning means rigorous order authentication protects your business.
- Leverage retail media: Selex Media offers a funded, measurable promotion channel for new pet ranges.
- Compete on total value: with discounters pressuring the market, Selex members reward suppliers who balance price, quality, and promotional investment.
The winning pet-supplier strategy at Selex is therefore two-track and value-led: secure a national private-label mandate through Selex central for scale, while cultivating direct relationships with high-performing members for local depth, and anchor both with a cost-competitive own-label pet range that holds up against inflation-driven national brands. Verify every order through the official central channels to avoid fraud, bring Italian-language compliant packaging and BRCGS/IFS certification from the outset, and treat Selex Media as a funded launch pad for new pet ranges rather than an optional extra. With the group investing in new and renovated stores through 2025 and pushing private label hard, a supplier that phases entry from a strong regional member to a national MDD program can build durable, broad-reach distribution across the Italian market — making Selex one of the highest-leverage accounts for pet exporters targeting the country.
— Scott Zhu, Founder, GlobalPetIndex
Sources & Related Reading
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