Supermarkets – Investments of 270m. euros by big5 in 2022

Sklavenitis, AB Vassilopoulos, Lidl, My Market and Masoutis intensify their efforts to reach even higher levels in 2022 despite the uncertainty created by inflationary pressures and the continuing health crisis.

In the field of organic development, all supermarkets bet on new stores so as to have an advantage in competition. However, their digital empowerment now has a large share in the investment plans of the strongest players, as the pandemic changed consumer habits. Only Lidl Hellas is trying to achieve growth only through physical stores.

For this year, the five largest supermarket chains are planning investments of 270 million euros in order to increase their financial footprint, but also their “influence” on the consumer public.

Sklavenitis at the “Renault junction”

The leader of the sector Greek Supermarkets Sklavenitis has budgeted for this year investments of 50 million euros. According to information, in 2022 it is planned to upgrade another 40 stores, which are located in various areas of Greece, while in terms of the online store, the plan provides for expanded coverage in many areas of the territory.

The new hyper market in the building of the former Renault, which gave its name to the homonymous junction of the Athens-Lamia national road, as a “Renault junction”, is playing a central road in this year’s investments.

Yesterday it was announced the approval of an architectural study by theCouncil of Architecture for “change of use of an existing car exhibition building with warehouses and parking lots, in a supermarket building with a playground and a restaurant”.

It concerns the change of use with new layouts in an existing building on Skra, Thessalonikis, Lahana streets, in New Philadelphia. The surface of the plot is 7,358.74 m2.

The change in the use of a supermarket on the ground floor and first floor, offices on the mezzanine floor, mechanical spaces and a warehouse in the existing basement is foreseen. Underground parking space and auxiliary spaces are added above a part of the existing basement. Parking spaces are provided on the roof, in the basement and in the surrounding area. New access ramps for customer vehicles are provided for access to the roof and the basement.

Also, on the roof of the building, a shade is constructed, in part of the parking spaces. Solar panels are placed on the roof of the construction and in certain parts of the roof planting is provided with low shrubs and aromatic plants.

In addition, a new supermarket chain will οpen in Glyfada.

At the same time, two new dark stores (sorting centers that serve electronic sales) are expected to be put into operation in 2022 in Attica, in order to improve the delivery times of the electronic sales of the group.

The ambitious plan of AB Vassilopoulos

The ambition of the management of AB Vassilopoulos is to expand through franchise the network of AB Shop & Go stores with 50 new stores in 2022, so as to reach the number of 250 shops in the next three years. Today the chain operates 100 AB Shop & Go.

The plan also envisages the renovation, as every year, for a significant number of stores, as well as the operation of ten new AB points of sale.

At the same time, the chain pays special attention to strengthening its logistics infrastructure.

AB Vassilopoulos’ investments for this year are expected to amount to 60 million euros.

Lidl focuses on the physical network

The investments of the discount chain Lidl Hellas, for the years 2022-2023, amount to 100 million euros.

More specifically, for its strengthening in the industry and the acquisition of a larger market share, Lidl Hellas intends to add to its network 5 new stores in 2022 and another 5 in 2023.

It is noted that the company’s network has 229 points of sale and five distribution centers.

As for the digital sales channel, the strategy of the German parent group seems to focus on the traditional way of growth through the strengthening of the physical stores networks.

“Green” investments, logistics and digital transformation in the plan of METRO (My Market)

The METRO group headed by Aristotelis Panteliadis will invest around 35 million euros this year, while in case of investment opportunities, this may increase.

Of this amount, around 6 million euros will be directed to the digital transformation. This year the operation of the online store of the wholesale chain METRO Cash and Carry will start, while the development of the e-shop of My market will continue.

In addition, in the first half of the year, the expansion of the Distribution Center in Northern Greece by 20,000 sq.m. is expected to be completed.

The chain also gives importance to the field of energy saving, starting this year a large program of installation of solar panels on the roofs of the buildings, while maintaining the renovation plan of existing stores.

New stores and dark store in Athens for Masoutis

The addition of new stores, the continuation of renovations in existing stores, as well as the opening of a dark store in Athens are included in the investment plan of the northern Helladic chain Masoutis for 2022. The budgeted amount is 25 million euros.

The new stores are expected to operate in Kavala, Nafpaktos, Ioannina and Lamia, while the company targets Peloponnese, Attica and the islands of Greeece, as well.

At the same time, the operation of a new dark store in Athens is expected in the next two months, which will strengthen the electronic sales channel of the chain and will improve the delivery times.