Despite the constantly rising number of stores in Romania, Carrefour, the largest hypermarket operator in the country, did not succeed in increasing its revenues over the last two years. The company earned €1.13bn in 2010, a 0.4% reduction in comparison with the previous year and 5% less than 2008, its record year in Romania in terms of sales. With 15 stores more in 2010 than in 2008, representing an investment of about €60m between them.

Carrefour did not succeed in matching its 2008 sales level during 2010.

In 2010, Carrefour opened 10 supermarkets and one hypermarket, the latter in the city of Drobeta-Turnu Severin, in south-western Romania. On the other hand, the company closed three supermarkets in the country in 2010, one each in Hunedoara, Baia Mare and Turda, as part of its strategy of optimising its operations. Carrefour had 55 stores on the Romanian market at the end of 2010, of which 23 were hypermarkets and 32 supermarkets.

In 2011, the company plans to open two hypermarkets in Romania, one in the Botosani Shopping Center in Botosani and another in the Colosseum shopping centre in Bucharest. The latter is due to open in 2011.
The average amount invested in a Carrefour supermarket is €1.5m and that in a hypermarket €20m, according to Ziarul Financiar estimates.

Source: ceeretail.com