The growth is below consumption growth in its entirely as retail sales (the most important indicator for private consumption) increased by over 10% in 2021, according to Romania’s statistics board INS.
Company representatives said 2021 was marred by difficulties due to restrictions on store hours amid the coronavirus-related crisis.
In each of the last years, Profi announced some of the best performances in food trade, with the growth being supported mostly by an alert expansion, by up to 250 new stores annually.
In a normal year, the company has an investment budget of almost EUR100 million which goes into new store openings or remodelings, as well as into logistics and portfolio.
In March 2022, the executives running Profi announced the group was planning to open or refurbish 300 stores in 2022, with this being the most ambitious expansion plan so far for the company or any local retailer.