BuyEuropean.com connects European family-run businesses directly with consumers

The platform is launching with wine and will later expand to include other artisanal products

Since last Friday, European family-run businesses have gained a new sales channel. BuyEuropean.com is the first platform to connect European family-run businesses directly with consumers. No importer, no wholesaler, no supermarket. Just the producer and the customer. The aim: greater transparency throughout the supply chain, a fairer price for the producer and direct access to authentic, high-quality products from Europe. The initiative comes from Cees Erkelens, who, after forty years in international trade, set up the platform through his company, Groupe CBEV.

Why now?

The European wine sector is undergoing a period of structural change. In various regions, there is persistent overproduction and a growing gap between producers and end consumers. At the same time, pressure on traditional distribution models is mounting, causing value to shift further and further up the long supply chains. For many European family businesses, often active for generations, the challenge lies not in quality or craftsmanship, but in visibility, positioning and access to consumers. BuyEuropean.com is responding to this trend by offering an alternative channel in which origin, story and pricing structure are made more transparent.

Directly from the European producer to the consumer

BuyEuropean.com has opted for a shorter supply chain in which European family-run businesses sell directly via the platform. This makes the relationship between producer and consumer more direct and creates greater scope for fair pricing and transparency regarding the product’s origin.

“Many family-run businesses make wonderful products, but are dependent on long supply chains in which margins are piled up. We want to bring producers and consumers closer together again,” says Cees Erkelens, the initiator. “This ensures that producers receive a fairer price and that consumers know exactly who they are buying from.”

Start with wine; more to follow

The platform is launching with a carefully curated selection of European wines from family-run businesses. Over the coming months, the range will be expanded to include other food and non-food products from European family-run businesses, including olive oil and honey.

According to Erkelens, there is a growing demand amongst consumers for traceability and authenticity.

The stories behind the products

Every producer on BuyEuropean.com has their own story. From family-run businesses that have been making wine for generations to small-scale producers of olive oil, honey and other products. The platform not only introduces consumers to the products, but also to the people behind them, and is aimed at those who consciously choose quality, provenance and entrepreneurship within Europe. You can find out more about the vision behind the initiative at BuyEuropean.com.