The Univers'all retail chain has forecast 30 million-euro sales this year, based on sales in December 45% higher when compared with the same time last year.
December is the best month of the year in terms of sales for retail chains - supermarkets, hypermarkets or small neighbourhood stores. With Christmas and New Year's Eve falling on weekends this year, sales are set to grow by 45%, according to Univers'all representatives.
"Winter holidays are crucial for sales. The volume of purchases increases compared with other periods of the year. Our goal is to exceed last December's sales by 45%," said Serdar Savci, company general manager.
The company's full-year turnover should be somewhere around 30 million euros (1,200bn ROL), according to company estimates, up from the 19 million euros (700bn ROL) in 2003.
Univers'all currently has five supermarkets, the first three of which were opened in Sibiu, Suceava and Targu Mures in 2002. The other two opened in Iasi and Constanta last year.
Officials initially announced plans to open two more supermarkets in Bucharest, but this was postponed for next year.
"The supermarket in the Unirii Complex will open before Easter and the other one, located in Obor, will open in May next year," added Savci.
Besides the supermarket chain, from which it uses the logistics structure, Univers'all decided to open a neighbourhood store chain called Uni'all. The first of these stores were acquired in Constanta last year, and current plans aim to increase the number of stores for the most part in cities where Univers'all supermarkets are already operational.
"We intend to develop this concept, not only in the branches where Univers'all is already operational but also throughout the entire country," says Savci, who was appointed Univers'all general manager this autumn.
Serdar Savci is the former general manager of another supermarket chain on the Romanian market: Gima. He replaced another expatriate at the helm of Univers'all, Patrick Iffly, former development director for Carrefour Romania.
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