AUSTRIA: Merkur aims to generate turnover through the Internet

Merkur has announced its aim to generate 2% of its annual turnover through Internet sales by the end of next year.The Austrian supermarket chain is part of the German- owned BML group. Currently, its online shopping service, Merkur Direct, operates only within the confines of Vienna and charges an extra 10% on prices for the privilege of ordering food over the Internet. Merkur is currently racking up sales in excess of €1.09bn a year, and its decision is in stark contrast to the policy of Spar Warenhandels AG, which is hesitant to explore the purported benefits of e-commerce. A spokeswoman from the food chain, Austria's second largest, commented that no online commercial services were actually producing profits. Arguably this is an extremely shortsighted view.