Metro Group, the world’s third-largest retailer, has launched a convenience store format in Romania under the banner ‘La Doi Pasi’.
A spokesperson for the group told just-food today (5 March) that the format, which launched officially last week, targets small independent retailers who want to be part of a larger scheme.
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The banner translates as ‘Two Steps Away’, and, to date, 200 retailers have joined the programme. Eighty stores are already functional.
The retailer runs similar franchise programmes, under local brands, in Poland and Bulgaria. However, the spokesperson said this scheme was different.
“We do have something like this, using similar approaches in other countries, but the idea behind this is more a service that we offer to small traders. These stores are run by the individual owner.”
The spokesperson said the banner is unlikely to be rolled out beyond Romania.
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By GlobalData“The needs are very different in each country, so there is no one-to-one copy from one country to another. It is more or less very individual and tailored to meet the needs of the country and culture of the traders there.”
However, the spokesperson added that there is scope to expand in Romania beyond the 200 stores currently in the scheme.
“It is more or less up to the potential traders,” she said. “They approach us to ask if they can be part of this franchise. There are no binding fees that we charge, we more or less offer them the branding and marketing package.”
The spokesperson declined to comment on how much had been invested in the scheme given that the company is currently in its financial quiet period.
