-Photograph of a building representing the union FEMSA and Valora.
12.07.2022

FEMSA and Valora join forces.

These names may not mean much to you. What do these signs represent? What are the consequences of this merger? Let us explain.

 

Foodvenience… Food what ?

Let's start with a pun that makes you smile. You need a bit of knowledge of English but it's nothing too complicated. 

Think local shops... It's easy, it's accessible... the opposite of inconvenience. Then, think about food, something you can quickly buy and consume to better manage your busy schedule... fast food... Food.

Bingo... The term Foodvenience is born!

Why this term? This is because it reflects the main activities of two major players in local commerce.FEMSA  and Valora , not to mention them.

These two behemoths of the sector have just confirmed their merger. Who are they? Which brands are part of their portfolios? What will be the strategy of this new entity?

 

Heavyweights

We were talking about behemoths. FEMSA is not a name that resonates with local or food businesses, but this group carries a lot of weight. Especially in Mexico and Latin America.

FEMSA has 320,000 employees, a presence in 13 countries, 3,600 pharmacies, an extensive network of service stations and a turnover of more than CHF 27 billion.

It is also the bottler for Coca-Cola in Latin America and a major shareholder of the brewer Heineken.

Valora has 15,000 employees and a network of sales outlets in Switzerland, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. That's 2,700 businesses under management.

 

Well-known brands

So, if you're not a fan of Mexican highways and cities in Latin America, the brands of the FEMSA group won't mean much to you. However, they are known to the general public on site.

Closer to home, the brands of the Valora Group are more familiar. 

K Kiosk, the reference press area. 

Brezelkönig, bakeries offering sandwiches, pastries and of course, pretzels. 

Ok.- The energy drink.

And many more... So many brands known in our countries but also throughout Europe.

 

Why this merger?

We were referring to Europe. FEMSA has identified Valora as their anchor and development point on the continent. Wishing to extend their activities beyond their historical borders, the merger with Valora makes sense. Similar businesses, strong brands, an already well-established European distribution network... Everything is in place to ensure a successful international deployment. It cost a few billion, but this acquisition allows FEMSA to take a radical leap forward in a very short period of time. It's priceless.

And Valora? In addition to an interesting financial transaction for its shareholders, the group will be able to rely on its know-how and formidable economic firepower in a highly competitive market where major players are competing to ensure their growth.

 

And what about credit?

Good question! A priori, there is no natural link between the main activities of the two aforementioned companies and yet... Valora owns bob finance, a specialist  in online personal loans. 

In a world where digital technology plays a major role in our daily activities, having a fintech that develops and deploys digital solutions makes sense. 

Of course, these are not pretzels or energy drinks, but services that are offered online, on any technological medium. 

When everything went virtual, your purchases, your reservations, your hobbies... Having a team of seasoned developers, connoisseurs of European purchasing habits, mastering analytical and promotional tools, the possible synergies are obvious.

Apart from the collaborative interests between the various entities of a group, today's holding companies are diversifying their activities. This makes it possible to take advantage of the growth of various sectors and to share the risk in the event of a recession or crises as we have experienced in the past and, to a lesser extent, today.

 

Merging values?

Recently, Credaris and Milenia announced their merger. This alliance has created the leading credit player in Switzerland. The first in terms of the number of loans granted, the first in terms of the number of banking partners... And above all, the first, in our eyes, in terms of quality and personalization of the service.

Here, too, technology acts as the backbone of a strategy dedicated to making the user experience even smoother, faster, more satisfying... 

However, the real key to such a merger lies in the synergy  of values, the coherence of an approach rooted in common behaviors and beliefs that aim at the common good. However, this does not mean copied values. Strength often lies in difference. Each entity in a group can live its own values, keep its autonomy, make its own identity vibrate... As long as all these positive energies lead to a goal that is, for once, common and at the service of the greatest number.

It is therefore at the human level that the difference is made. FEMSA and Valora have certainly understood this, as have Milenia and credaris. This is all the more inspiring as the respective approaches tend to improve the service provided to their customers but also to develop activities, support employment, and maximize common potential.

The hoped-for result? Opportunities for employees who are part of the journey, a better customer experience, more personalized services, and healthy companies that benefit from the investments made and the risks taken.

 

Towards other mergers?

No one knows... These are often operations that need to be carefully thought out and well executed. It takes time. Above all, it has to make sense.

As far as credit is concerned, also known as personal loans or consumer credit, the sector already has serious players, capable of covering needs throughout the country and partners of sound and recognized financial institutions. All of this is under the aegis  of the regulatory authorities and  governed by a law designed to protect the interests of customers and avoid cases of over-indebtedness.

As long as mergers are at the service of the common good and tend to further professionalize a sector that is sometimes mistreated in the sphere of public opinion, it will be to the advantage of the professionals who work in the sector and, above all, to the advantage of the clients who wish to carry out their projects with transparent, reasonable and personalized financing conditions.



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09.01.2024
Telecommuting: flop or not?

Since the Covid pandemic, companies have multiplied remote working methods. The most widely used is telecommuting. Two years later, has this method been successful?

 

Let's take a step back

During the lockdown, the world of work experienced a real shift.

Companies had to adapt and various means were put in place to ensure the continuity of services, sales, and the very functioning of the organization.

Do you remember?

The famous cardboard box filled with a computer, a mouse and a screen that the employees took home...

We somehow settled down somewhere in our apartment or our house.

The less fortunate had to sit on an old table at the back of their bedroom.

Children screamed in the background and parents had to juggle their work responsibilities with those of being a mother or father.

Ah... What wonderful memories!

In addition, the schedules became confused. There was no beginning and no end. We were already connected before, but now the workplace had invited itself into our home, into the family, into our home.

However, not everything had to be thrown away.

The doctor's appointment, the receipt of the Zalando package, the visit of the plumber... What required us to take time off or organize ourselves differently simply fit into his work schedule, on site.

Above all, no more time wasted on the road or on the train. We earned two hours of our living every day. That's no small feat...

We weren't the only ones. Hundreds of millions of people around the world, by obligation or freely, switched to this new way of working.

It was necessary to put in place state-of-the-art technological and IT infrastructures to enable more secure virtual exchanges of information via videoconferencing or e-mail.

It was necessary to set up a teleworking policy to give directives on working hours, the availability of employees and managers so as not to be too intrusive in private life.

Finally, regular reviews were required to assess the effectiveness of telework policies and gather feedback from employees.

The big winners? Zoom, Teams, Skype, Webex... It was a good time and the number of users exploded

 

Video conferencing platforms

In order to establish clear and effective communication channels, it is necessary to have instant messaging and video conferencing tools to maintain smooth communication between team members. This transition is being made by different players who bring specificities specific to each sector.

You may have seen that.

Some companies will use the Zoom platform, which allows simple video conferences with a discussion thread, which is easy to use and not very connected to other services.

Others will use Microsoft Teams or Webex, which offer more integrated and secure business solutions.

Skype and Google Meet round out the market leaders, at least in Europe.

 

And what about employers?

The main fear of some employers during this pandemic?

Decreased productivity.

The prevailing thought was that employees, less supervised than before, would work less given this new organizational freedom.

The endless breaks, the last-minute shopping, the Netflix binging...

We're not going to lie, the majority of teleworkers have taken advantage of this to better combine professional and personal needs.

There have been many productivity studies, too many to mention here.

In the end, productivity dropped slightly on average, but this varied enormously depending on the functions and responsibilities.

Profiles whose tasks were recurrent completed their work more quickly and, not needing to do more, to take advantage of the time available to go about their personal business.

Others worked even harder, especially early in the morning, late at night, or on weekends.

Where some managers suffered from a lack of supervision (monitoring?) of their teams; Some employees did not take well to the distance, the lack of clarity on the establishment of rules... All of them missed interpersonal relationships and this may have impacted the corporate culture and sense of well-being.

In conclusion, there is neither one statistic valid for everyone nor a representative feeling of all employers and employees. However, there is no doubt that the world of work has changed and the effects continue today.

 

Exactly. And today?

Companies are adapting to the demands of employees, especially young people entering the workforce.

They demand flexibility, adapted schedules and, yes, telecommuting.

In Switzerland, the job market is in favour of job applicants. Companies must therefore remain attractive and take these demands into account.

Companies are implementing hybrid work modes that allow the employee more time to work from home but require them to be present for a certain number of days in the office. Again, there is no single rule.

Some organizations simply refuse the principle of remote work.

Others impose a fixed day of attendance.

Some leave the choice to their teams.

One thing is for sure, remote work is here to stay, in one form or another.

More than controlling productivity, more than managing teams and workloads, the real challenge is to keep the links between employees, to ensure proximity between managers and their teams.

Finding a balance between the attractiveness of the employer brand, individual well-being and the needs of the company; This is where the effort must be directed for the future.

 

At work and at home, Milenia is always available

Accessing credit through our financing platform has never been easier.

Everything is within your reach, with customization according to your projects, we accompany you from start to finish so that your projects can see the light of day.

For your personal loan, we offer the best market conditions with 0 application fees. Everything is designed to make your life easier.

Your loan application can be done entirely remotely, with support from your personal advisor or both at the same time.

The flexibility, adaptability, personalization of your offer... All of this is embedded in our approach and services.

As the leading credit player in Switzerland, place your trust in us so that your personal dreams and projects come true.

 

 

 

 

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17.01.2022
ompare credit offers. It has to be prepared, it has to be done calmly and it has to make sense.

When it comes to your money and a contractual commitment, there's no need to rush. Here are some tips to help you make the right choice.

 

What exactly are we talking about?

When you want to finance a project, there are various solutions available to you. Credit is a relatively simple financing tool, quick to execute and with a light administrative burden.

For further clarification, a credit is also called consumer credit, personal loan, loan, private loan, etc. This is a loan of a sum of money by a creditor to you, the debtor. The amount in question must be reimbursed within a time limit agreed between the parties. An interest rate is calculated in addition to the principal to be repaid in order to remunerate the services of the creditor, a bank in most cases.

As this is a form of financing that does not require a down payment or guarantee, the rate applied varies according to the amount borrowed, the quality of your file and the repayment period.

Financing platforms such as Milenia are used to offer the best rates on the market and to support you in your efforts. You don't pay anything for this service; The remuneration of these platforms is ensured within the framework of the agreements with the partner banks.

 

Before you compare, ask yourself two questions.

Is credit the right solution for my project?

Am I eligible?

The first question has the merit of judging the relevance and usefulness of your approach. As a responsible service provider, we put your interests at the heart of our attention. Over-indebtedness must be avoided at all costs and your loan must bring real added value and not represent a debt that is difficult to overcome.

Can your project be scaled back? Does your cash flow simply allow you to avoid taking out a loan? Is it the right time?

These are all useful questions that allow you to judge whether or not you need to move forward.

The second question is also important.

Your advisor will be able to support you in this reflection, but you can already eliminate some doubts:

Am I domiciled in Switzerland? If not, you will not be eligible.

Am I of legal age? If not, you will not be eligible.

Am I involved in an action filed in the debt collection? If this is the case, you will not be eligible.

 

One egg, one basket.

If you want to continue with a credit application, don't rush!

Above all, do not file multiple applications with different providers or banks.

Each request is logged and will block your access to a favorable response.

Compare, choose your financial partner wisely and, if the conditions are met, draw up your file with them.

To make a fair choice, take advantage of the service offered by a financing platform. It's online and it's easy.

 

Compare what, exactly?

The quality, the network, the accessibility and, of course, the conditions.

By quality, we mean the clarity of the information provided and the transparency of the platform. 

Are there testimonials from satisfied customers? Is there an independent quality body involved, such as Proven Expert? Is the team running the company clearly displayed? Is the company based in Switzerland?

As far as  the network is concerned, the quality and scope of the network will determine the quality of the offers offered to you. Check the partners page or search for published articles or the platform's blog if it exists. 

It is preferable to do business with a major player in the market that has serious, even exclusive, partnerships with recognized banks.

Accessibility. An online solution is often less time-consuming and just as relevant as if you went to an agency. However, it will be necessary to speak with an expert, go through your file in person and have live advice. 

Be sure that you will be able to access this service.

Lately, the conditions. The rates displayed on the various platforms are often similar. There are criteria to be met, however, and these often make the difference.

First of all, the process until you sign the loan agreement must be completely free of charge! Whether you visit a credit comparison platform or a financing platform, run away if you are asked for a single franc for so-called administrative or processing costs.

Secondly, do not sign anything when you are in a comparative or information-seeking process. Your file must first be well completed and analysed and it is only when you make a credit proposal following the acceptance of your application that you will have the opportunity to sign or not.

Finally, a 0.10% lower rate does not necessarily mean a good deal. All of this must be considered. The quality of your relationship with your advisor, the seriousness shown when drawing up your request, the choice of partners... Confidence and peace of mind knowing that you are in good hands is far more important than a tiny spread in the rate offered.

 

Do you have any questions?

We invite you to inquire via Milenia. You will have the opportunity to simulate your credit, learn about our solutions, get to know our team, ask your questions, browse through our customer testimonials and discover our articles on our blog.

Take your time, compare and when your choice is made, we will be at your side to carry out your project. Under the right conditions, with confidence and transparency.

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Loan illustration: loan of CHF 10'000. Effective annual interests rates between 4.9% and 11.95% over a 12 month period lead to total interests of between CHF 261.80 and CHF 624.80. Duration: 6-120 months; Maximum annual interest rate (including all loan handling costs) 11.95%. Loans approval are prohibited if they lead to excess debt for the consumer. (Art. 3 LCD)

 

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