Kaufland nears 30-store mark

Kaufland will open its 28th store on the Romanian market in Arad, with the value of the investment amounting to eight million euros, the retailer announced recently. The hypermarket will cover a surface area of 6,500 square metres and will also include a 308-spot car park. Overall, the total investments conducted by the German network in Romania stand at approximately 330 million euros, with the first store being opened in October 2005. The sum covers both projects, as well as the construction of its logistic headquarters in the Ploiesti Industrial Park. Kaufland has announced its intention to invest around 120-130 million euros this year in opening 16 discount hypermarkets on the Romanian market. Kaufland’s medium term plans entail opening around 50 stores, primarily in small and middle-size cities. Internationally, the German retailer has over 700 stores, in Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania. The Lidl&Schwarz group, which Kaufland is a part of, has over 166,000 employees and posted an over 44 billion-euro turnover in 2005.