Supermarkets, retail stars: Over 40 stores and investments in excess of 65m euros

Whereas 2009 was the year of discount chains, this year it was supermarkets' turn to become the most dynamic segment in modern retail. 2010 saw the opening of more than 40 supermarkets, with the most active players on this segment being Mega Image with 21 stores in 2010, Billa with 13 and Carrefour with 10, according to ZF data.
Considering that the average investment in a supermarket amounts to around 1.5 million euros, retailers have invested over 65 million euros in the 44 stores and have created 1,200 new jobs, according to ZF calculations.
The other segments of modern retail have, however, not suspended development. In the past month alone, retailers announced the opening of 14 stores, most of them small. Therefore, modern retail will see the opening of seven supermarkets, four discount stores, one convenience store and two Metro Punct stores. In the first 11 months of this year, the supermarket segment saw the biggest development in modern retail as a whole, with the number of supermarkets rising by 18.6%, according to a survey by market research company MEMRB.