Univers''all foresees double turnover this year

The Univers”all store network, operated by GFS group, projects sales worth 49 million euros for this year, about twice the value registered in 2004.

The largest store of the network will be opened next month, near the Unirea Shopping Center, and will involve total investments worth 11 million euros.

“The store will open by the end of May”, Razvan Petrovici, general manager of GFS group told Ziarul Financiar. According to Petrovici, the store has a total area of 6,000 square metres.

“The equipment alone was worth about 4.6 million euros”, Petrovici also said.

The Univers”all network is currently made up of five stores located in Sibiu, Targu Mures, Suceava, Constanta and Iasi.

According to Petrovici, the company plans to further expand its network on four store categories, depending on size and location.

“The largest format is that of hypermarkets, with areas such as the one we have in Sibiu, Targu-Mures, Suceava or the one to be built in Bucharest.

“Next come supermarkets, such as those of Constanta and Iasi. We also have smaller district stores, under the Uni”all brand, which we want to develop as an alternative to the Mega Image type of supermarkets”, Petrovici added.

Starting this autumn, Univers”all will also enter the segment of discount stores by opening a Univers”all Mega Discount.

“The store will be located in the Bucur Obor area of Bucharest, a high density area. We want to try our hand at discount stores”, Petrovici added.

Bucur Obor also has a Gima supermarket and a Kaufland hypermarket is being constructed here.

This year, the Uni”all district stores network will start being effectively expanded, through the opening of the first store of this type in Bucharest in Piata Latina area.

Univers”all owns four Uni”all stores in Constanta, which it bought when it opened its first supermarket in this city.

GFS group last year logged turnover revolving around 74 million euros, higher as compared to the less than 60 million euros a year before.

“Retail operations accounted for the largest part, 66 million euros. Univers”all stores are the main activity of the group and last year generated sales worth 23 million euros, against 18 million euros year-on-year”, explained Petrovici.

Significant increases were also registered by the duty free shops (from 30 million euros in 2003 to 32.7 million euros in 2004), and the alcoholic drinks distribution (six million euros in 2004 as compared to five million euros a year before), as well as the perfume unit (4.5m euros from 3m euros in 2003).

Beside trade operations, GFS group also owns several companies in the services sector, which last year had total turnover worth 8 million euros.

ionut.bonoiu@zf.ro