Hypermarket networks are expanding further in Bucharest and they are set to operate at least 36 large stores by the end of 2016, from 25 at present, according to a ZF analysis that takes into account the shopping projects announced in the city, as well as construction site activity.
Germany’s Kaufland and French Carrefour are going to be the most dynamic players in the field in the coming years, while group Auchan is currently focusing only on two projects, one in Brasov and one in Bucharest, after having opened four hypermarkets in the capital city in the passed year.
Construction works for these hypermarkets are under various stages of development and five units are set to be opened by the end of this year, according to ZF estimates.
Kaufland, leader of domestic retail, now has six stores in Bucharest, but the German group is still expanding aggressively, having at least four stores under construction in the capital city.
Kaufland plans to mark the opening of its 100th store in Romania this year, with the network now including 91 units.
Another Kaufland unit will be built in Bucharest in the next two years, on the land plot of former brewery Grivita. Overall, Kaufland plans to develop a 15-unit network in Bucharest.
While Kaufland develops its stores independently from real estate developers’ shopping centers, French Carrefour will continue expanding particularly within larger retail projects.
Carrefour has opened no more units in Bucharest since the autumn of 2011, but the French group is about to take over for fitting out the store part of Vulcan Value Center, developed by South-Africa’s NEPI in Rahova.
The project, scheduled for delivery this autumn, is not the French group’s only collaboration with NEPI in Bucharest, in the context where the Mega Mall project under construction in Pantelimon will also have a Carrefour hypermarket.
At the same time, in early 2014, Carrefour signed a contract with Prodplast Imobiliare to rent a 10,000-sqm space in Veranda Shopping Center, a project that will be developed in Obor area. Last, but not least, according to ZF data, Carrefour is the main favorite to operate the future hypermarket part of ParkLake Plaza mall of Titan, set to be finalized in 2016.
French Auchan, which through the purchase and rebranding of Real network, has come to operate seven hypermarkets in Bucharest, will add another store on the former Tricodava platform of Drumul Taberei. The project, where the future headquarters of Auchan is being built, will be most likely delivered next spring.
Cora, a company that operates four stores in Bucharest, has another project for the capital city in the coming years, namely Victoria City shopping center of Bucurestii Noi, for which works have not started, yet.
Should all these projects materialize, Bucharest will reach a rate of one hypermarket per each 50,000 inhabitants in two years, with density being weaker than in cities such as Drobeta-Turnu Severin (three hypermarkets/86,000 inhabitants) or Suceava (4 hypermarkets/86,000 inhabitants).
(English version by Catalina Apostoiu)