Stores open around the clock

Supermarkets and hypermarkets no longer see 10 p.m. as the perfect closing time during the holidays: starting this year, midnight is the rule. Moreover, people can buy potatoes or refrigerators even at 4 a.m. if they feel like it, as some stores are open 24/7. Besides, several banks have already decided to prolong the working hours during the holiday period.

Sales generally surge 30%-40% before Christmas and New Year’s Eve, so this particular period weighs a lot in the retailers’ revenues.

“There are people who only have time to shop after they return from work. Besides, everybody goes shopping during this period. We find it normal to prolong the working programme in the stores,” says Francois Olivier, managing director at Carrefour Romania.

The two Bucharest-based hypermarkets controlled by the French group will be open every day until 10 p.m., but will be operating after midnight on December 19 and 23.

However, the French at Cora have raised the stakes. The only Cora hypermarket, based in Granitul Pantelimon area, will close every day at midnight in December, except for the holidays and Christmas Eve.

German group Metro will operate its 19 supermarkets around the clock between December 12 and 23.

“When the holidays were approaching last year, only our Bucharest-based stores were open non-stop. This experience turned out a success and we decided to do the same thing for all our stores,” Delia Nica, public relations manager at Metro Cash & Carry Romania, explains.

Banks such as the Romanian Development Bank (BRD)-Groupe Societe Generale, are supporting the measures envisioned by the traders. However, not everybody agrees with the issue. Mega Image officials say they will maintain their usual programme, while the Romanian Commercial Bank (BCR) and Raiffeisen Bank will do the same.
ionut.bonoiu@zf.ro ; oana.nuta@zf.ro