Auchan arrived in Romania with its hypermarkets more than a decade ago, which was its only store format in the country until a year ago. In 2016, it opened its first convenience stores under the My Auchan brand and last year inaugurated the first supermarkets under the same brand.
Although Auchan has never provided any figures, market sources say the group has big plans for the small format segment in Romania, that is more than 500 stores in all. Some of them will be standalone stores, such as those inaugurated in 2017 following the acquisition of local retail chain Ok Supermarket. They will be either new or rebranded stores, following takeovers.
Several hundred others, however, will be convenience stores inside Petrom gas stations, a project the two parties announced last year and due to begin with 15 such stores, more than half of which already inaugurated.
Market sources say the plan is to have all Petrom (but not also OMV) gas stations include an Auchan convenience store. There are about 400 Petrom gas stations, plus some very small ones in rural areas.
Auchan officials did not comment on the information by press time.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)