Consum acquired nine supermarkets from Valencian distribution company Koups Design International. Seven of the stores are located in the Valencia region (Aldaia, Arracas, Massanassa, Sueca, Gandia, Xativa, Torrevieja), one in Catalonia (Amposta) and one in the Catalonia region. Murcia (Caravaca de la Cruz).
All properties operate under the Economy Cash banner, with the exception of the Xàtiva property, which operates as Vidal Tiendas. As the company highlighted in a statement, the project is subject to the approval of the National Market and Competition Commission (CNMC) and will allow the cooperative to improve its services in the Mediterranean region.
As with its previous operations, Consum will integrate the entire workforce of the acquired centers (equivalent to 193 people) into its collaborative model, with plans to reach a team of more than 22,000 people by 2024.
So far this year, the cooperative has opened 5 of its own supermarkets and 30 charter franchises, and with the addition of acquired stores, Consum has over 970 stores spread across the Valencia region, Catalonia and Murcia. I’ll be able to finish this year with a network. , Castilla-La Mancha, Andalusia, Aragon. With this maneuver, Consum improves its position in the domestic market, reaching a share of 26.5% in the Valencian community.
Among the supermarkets acquired is the first store that Consum opened in Alacas in 1975 and began its journey of cooperation. The new acquired supermarket is scheduled to open next year, when Konsum celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Sales growth forecast
Antonio Rodríguez, General Director of Consum, confirmed the acquisition while addressing the media at a press conference held within the framework of the Aecoc Congress, saying: “The new supermarket fits our model very well. , compatible with our current network.” . In addition, these new stores will provide 200 jobs. ”
Similarly, Antonio Rodriguez said, “In line with our growth forecast, we expect to end the year with an increase in sales of approximately 5%. Similarly, if we achieve our year-end forecast, we believe our market share will increase by 0.15 percentage points.” ”
Meanwhile, Antonio Rodriguez predicted that consumer purchasing behavior would return to “normal” thanks to easing inflation. “The normalization of price increases is great news, especially for customers, as they can now access supermarkets with more confidence.However, we have seen that inflation over the past two to three years has changed consumer behavior. On the one hand, I managed my budget with a more streamlined basket and fewer items, and on the other hand, I used this suggestion to further control my spending. Yet, in the coming months, clients will realize that price is not the issue.
Regarding Consum’s assortment, Antonio Rodriguez says, “Manufacturer brands account for 85% of our references, while distributed brands account for the remaining 15%, although their weight is 30-31%.” I pointed out. value. Similarly, for distributed brands, the increase was 1.7% compared to the same month last year in August, but the increase is set at 0.7% compared to the previous month, and we recognize that growth is slowing down. ”.
Regarding the company’s plans for next year, Antonio Rodriguez said: “Profit margins will be reduced again as we focus all our efforts on improving efficiency and competitiveness.” Therefore, we remain focused on reducing expenses and continue to focus on fresh categories. At the same time, although there are some raw materials for which there are concerns about price increases, we are reducing carefully selected prices and introducing new products. This is the case for cocoa and coffee, whose costs have increased by five and three times, respectively,” the manager declared.
