Few greenfield investments in retail, more acquisitions likely

Modern retail, put by ZF at 7-9 billion euros, will continue to expand, but chances are slim for a new player opting for a greenfield investment on a market with more than 650 hypermarkets, supermarkets, cash & carry stores and discount stores.

“We will see a heavier focus on the modern retail sector. This is no longer the time for greenfield investments by new players. But we will see acquisitions in this sector,” explains Valentin Mircea, a member of the Competition Council’s Plenum, attending the Romania Retail Forum 2010 event, organised by Mediafax news agency.
Mircea’s statement comes shortly after German retailer Lidl, which is fighting for supremacy with Germans at Aldi on Europe’s hard discount segment, took over discount food chain Plus. Lidl has managed to ensure a strong position on the market, with the Plus chain having over 100 stores and over 300 million euros in turnover.