Moreover, Alexandru Vlad, the company’s executive manager, says the company will keep a slow pace of openings in the near future. “In the next five years, the company will open only three stores, reaching a 21-store network.”
The company made the decision to resume expansion even though consumer spending went down further in the first six months of this year, by over 5%, following the 2009 and 2010 trend. “The decision to open such a store has nothing to do with this year’s or next year’s economic context. This is a decision we made for the next 30, even 40 years.” As for consumer spending, Vlad says “certain stabilization can be noticed against last year.”
Selgros’ store is the first one announced by a cash&carry company this year.
Selgros stores have a sales area of between 8,000 and 10,000 square meters, but Vlad does not rule out the company’s shifting to smaller stores in the future, as other retailers, such as Metro Cash&Carry and Cora did.
(English version by Catalina Apostoiu; Editing by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)