The Louis Delhaize group, which holds the Cora hypermarket network and the discount store Profi on the Romanian market, will enter the convenience stores sector with Match convenience stores.
After having acquired the Albinu]a supermarket chain in Bucharest, which was subsequently integrated into the Profi network, the French retailer set its sights on Artima with a view to entering the convenience stores sector, "A priority for Louis Delhaize group is to develop our hypermarket network, but we are also looking closely at the supermarket segment. We were present during the sale process of Artima, but after we analysed the company, we decided not to bid," said Eugen Zb\rcea, manager of the acquisitions firm Provera Romania, a division of the Louis Delhaize group.
The retailer was interested in other stores, but failed to make any tender offers, sources on the market revealed to ZF.
"We based our decision to enter the Romanian retail market with the Match network on the resources available on the labour market, on the solutions offered by logistic operators, as well as the services offered by suppliers," added Eugen Zb\rcea.
Regionally, Louis Delhaize's Match division is only present in Hungary, where it currently has around 19 stores. The Match network registered its largest expansion in France and now numbers around 125 supermarkets.
The Cora hypermarket network, which currently owns three stores on the Romanian market, plans to expand by two stores next year, one in Bucharest and one in Constan]a. As for the Profi network, it is expected to reach sales worth over 100 million euros next year, after it took over the nine Albinu]a stores and opened further Profi stores. On the domestic market, Louis Delhaize group's two networks share the same acquisitions firm, Provera Romania.
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