“Store refurbishment entails more work than store opening,” the chain’s representatives stated recently regarding the strategy change.
Starting April, the retailer has stabilized the pace of expansion at 9-11 store openings monthly, from 15, 16 or even 19 in the January-March 2021 period.
Out of the 100 new stores opened in 2021, 45 are under the Loco brand destined to rural areas.
The retailer has three main formats in Romania: Standard (classical stores, on a larger area, of as much as 550 square metres), City (on a smaller area of 150-250 square metres, but destined to urban areas) and Loco (for rural areas).
The network ranks fourth in Romania’s food retail by 2020 turnover, after Lidl, Kaufland and Carrefour. Profi ended 2020 with RON8.8 billion turnover, up 22%. The growth pace is the second fastest on the market, after that of Lidl.
(English version by Catalina Apostoiu)