Investment fund Enterprise Investors, which last year took over Profi food retail chain, wants to expand it by at least 10 new stores in 2010 and is leaning towards the convenience supermarket concept rather than the discount store concept.
Profi's expansion will create 300 jobs this year, with investments in these projects put at over 10 million euros.
Profi, which posted around 140 million euros in sales last year, is the third largest food retailer on the discount store market, after Penny Market and Plus. Plans of the chain's new shareholder, however, target changes in Profi's retail concept, and a focus on the segment of convenience stores, currently dominated by small Romanian merchants.
"We are edging closer to the supermarket segment and will rely less on private labels, in order to move away from the discount store concept. In the coming period we will expand the area dedicated to fresh products in our stores, and do not rule out a rebranding of the chain," said Gunter Grieb, chief executive of the Profi chain.
Investment fund Enterprise Investors, which last year took over Profi food retail chain, wants to expand it by at least 10 new stores in 2010 and is leaning towards the convenience supermarket concept rather than the discount store concept.
Profi's expansion will create 300 jobs this year, with investments in these projects put at over 10 million euros.
Profi, which posted around 140 million euros in sales last year, is the third largest food retailer on the discount store market, after Penny Market and Plus. Plans of the chain's new shareholder, however, target changes in Profi's retail concept, and a focus on the segment of convenience stores, currently dominated by small Romanian merchants.
"We are edging closer to the supermarket segment and will rely less on private labels, in order to move away from the di
