Real invests 24m euros in Ploiesti store

Hypermarket chain Real, held by German group Metro, will open the chain's 24th store in Ploiesti, following a 23.8 million-euro investment, the company has announced. The new store, the first Real in Ploiesti, was built outside the city, in Blejoi commune, an has a 7,700 square-metre area. The store will employ 280 and will sell around 40,000 products, while the car park will have a 550-space capacity. Real has been one of the most active retailers on the food segment, having opened four new stores, following an overall investment of around 100 million euros. The slowdown in investments in hypermarket chains has also been prompted by the freezing of construction works on many shopping centre projects. Real Hypermarket Romania posted a 718 million-euro turnover and 55 million-euros in losses last year with 20 operating stores. Real's main competitor on the hypermarket segment is French group Carrefour, which has 22 hypermarkets and posted over one billion euros in turnover last year.