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Retailer Profi rented more than 100,000 square meters in two warehouses to be built by Belgian operator WDP in Timişoara and Craiova, investments valued at € 70 million, part of the strategy to expand logistics operations.
“The projects are part of PROFI’s strategy to expand Romania’s logistics operations and geographic coverage, in line with the aggressive network development we have in mind in the future. Furthermore, the projects are in line with retail trends. , respectively, to put all the necessary storage areas (ambient, refrigerated, frozen) under the same roof. This concept guarantees the quality and freshness of the products that the end customer finds in the stores, “said Pawel Musail, CEO of Profi.
JLL represented Profi in both transactions, thus continuing the partnership between the two companies, which until now has materialized in 250,000 square meters of logistics spaces in Bucharest, Roman, Cluj, Craiova and Timisoara.
The two transactions are peaking this year and enter the context in which retailers are interested in streamlining their distribution chains as much as possible by establishing centers in the main points of the country to cover the most easy and fast possible. The needs of the retail network.
The Profi network has more than 1,250 stores in 571 locations and a team of more than 20,000 employees.
“If Timisoara is already a developed logistics area, the project in Craiova will be the first greenfield logistics park in the area, as will the PROFI centers in Cluj and Roman at the time. We are honored to be able to assist PROFI in these transactions and We are pleased to have found a partner in WDP to carry out these projects (which represent an investment budget of approximately 70 million euros), in these very difficult times for the business environment, “he said. stated Viorel Opaiţ, director of business development at JLL Romania, who represented Profi in the transactions.
Profi opened 20 new stores in March. “For ten years, our strategy has been to grow strongly”
The Profi chain of stores, controlled by the investment fund Mid Europa Partners, continues to expand at the usual rate despite the Covid 19 pandemic, opening 20 new stores in March. The number is relatively similar to the first two months of the year, even slightly higher, despite the fact that in March the authorities took the first measures in the context of Covid19, and the number of cases of illness increased considerably.
“The Covid19 phenomenon produces significant changes in retail, from unprecedented health protection measures to the way people relate in stores or changes in supply chains, all accompanied by huge costs. But what doesn’t change is the Profi strategy, “company officials say. They announce they want to open at least as many stores as in 2019. The retailer active in the supermarket and modern proximity segment opened 260 new stores last year, closing 2019 with a total of 1,184 units.
After opening in March, the company reached 1,232 units operating in 565 locations.
“Our mission is to bring food as close as possible to people’s homes. That is why, for ten years, our strategy has been to grow strongly. Despite all the difficulties and vicissitudes, Profi strives to get closer to its customers, opening new stores as planned from the beginning, “says Pawel Musial, General Manager of Profi.
Profi: Unplanned investments during the Covid-19 pandemic amount to € 3 million over three months. The money went and went to products to disinfect stores, to protective equipment for employees, but also to equip supermarkets with brands or protection panels in cash registers
The Covid-19 pandemic has led retailers to increase sales, especially in food, personal care and housing, as well as additional expenses. Specifically, merchants have each invested several hundred thousand or even millions of euros in disinfectants, cash registers in cash registers, masks and gloves for employees or on floor marks so that customers can keep the correct distance from each other.
Profi, for example, has budgeted investments of 3 million euros for three months in these products. Spending on disinfecting stores or protective equipment is expected to continue for a long time. The company has around 1,250 stores and 20,000 employees.
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