The growth rate started to slow down in 2006, reaching 10% in 2014. A year later, the sales rose 15% to RON9.17 billion, but 2016 ended with a 6% growth, Kaufland’s lowest so far.
The German-held retailer’s sales stood at RON40.5 billion in the past five years, ZF has calculated.
Kaufland was the first retailer in Romania to overshoot the EUR2 billion mark in 2015, despite having set this goal for 2018. Fast-paced expansion, low price policy and a food VAT cut from 24% to 9% made it all possible.
Kaufland is currently operating a 115-hypermarket network in Romania, after having inaugurated three new stores in 2017. It has already announced it plans to inaugurate at least six hypermarkets this year, so it has at least three left to open. It would open five to 13 a year in the previous years.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)