Discount Textile Retail Chain Pepco (listed on the WKN: PCO) is planning a dynamic expansion on the German market. It intends to have 2,000 outlets in this country. Many locations are already operational, and more are to be created through a partnership with the operator of shopping centers ECE Marketplaces. Pepco in ECE shopping centers Pepco has been operating in Germany since 2022 and currently operates 18 stores in various locations, such as in cities like Berlin, Dresden, Göppingen, Halle an der Saale, Kamp-Lintfort and Meißen. The opening of new stores is planned in the coming weeks. 'Pepco's expansion on the German market is therefore in full swing', reports chip.de. In the first phase, ECE Marketplaces and Pepco signed a total of 17 long-term lease agreements in ECE's shopping centres for new stores of the clothing and home goods retail chain. These stores will occupy a total of about 9,500 square meters of leasable area. Further agreements between the two companies are also planned. The first new Pepco branch at ECE will open on August 17, 2023 at the Rathaus-Center Dessau. Further branches are planned in Chemnitz, Hamburg, Stuttgart and the Altmarkt-Galerie in Dresden. Pepco's European expansion The cooperation with ECE enables Pepco to offer good quality products at low prices in even more locations in Germany. Patrick Steiger, Operations Manager Pepco Germany, emphasizes that the goal is to be close to all potential customers. According to Steiger, the opening of 17 branches in ECE's shopping centres is only one stage in the chain's development. Recall that the chain also opens stores in Spain, offering a range of products and categories: from fashion, decorations and toys, to food, home cleaning and personal hygiene. "The opening of the retailer of Polish origin is part of the dizzying expansion that this affordable brand is carrying out in Bizkaia. In recent months, it has focused on Spanish territory, opening stores in Zubiarte, the center of the capital of Biscay, as well as in the agglomeration of Barakaldo and the city of Vitoria. All in all, with the same result: full showrooms of customers attracted by the low-cost offer", informed elcorreo.com. Read more: Discounter from Polish plans to conquer Germany - 17 stores in a few weeks (dlahandlu.pl)

The Dutch supermarket chains A-brand discounters Nettorama and Boni are going to merge. The new combination, with more than 80 stores and around 6800 employees, will continue under the name Nettorama. All Boni stores will be converted into Nettorama in the coming years. All jobs will be retained in the stores, the two chains say. This also applies to the distribution centres. The stores of Nettorama and Boni are currently supplied from Oosterhout and Nijkerk respectively, and that remains the case. Jobs at the head offices will disappear 'in the long term'. 'Logical combination' Nettorama director Michel Mattheeuws speaks of a 'natural moment and a logical combination'. "Nettorama and Boni are both family businesses. Successful A-brand discounters, which in just over 50 years have grown into stable retail chains with loyal customers. We have the same DNA, are financially healthy and complement each other well." Boni owner and director, Bouke van der Wal, says that his chain is in 'excellent shape', but points to the importance of joining forces. "Scaling up is necessary in the current market conditions to continue to serve customers at the lowest prices and to remain attractive as an employer." Nettorama was founded in 1968 by Jaap Bastmeijer and now has 32 stores. Boni now has 51 stores and was founded in 1972 by Gerrit Klaassen. The Dutch food retail market is still consolidating The number of supermarket chains has been declining for years. Plus and Coop merged, Deen was taken over by Albert Heijn and Jan Linders continues as a franchisee of Albert Heijn. Longer ago, Edah, C1000, Super de Boer, Konmar and Golff, among others, disappeared. The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets has yet to approve the merger. Boni's works council has yet to issue an opinion. Source: The Telegraaf #smartdiscount #nettorama #boni #branddiscount #netherlands #merge #acquisition #consolidation #drc #discount #retail #consulting #discountretail #discountretailconsulting #retailconsulting

Russian retailer Magnit said it plans to buy back approximately 21.5% of its shares, finalising the results of a tender offer that could enable some Western investors to sell off blocked Russia holdings, albeit at a discount. The offer to buy back shares at a 50% discount, a requirement demanded by the Kremlin, is the first proposal of its kind by a Russian company since sweeping Western sanctions over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and subsequent Russian countermeasures deprived many foreign investors of the ability to trade in Russian securities. Magnit, Russia's second-largest retailer with almost 28,000 food and home goods stores across Russia and Uzbekistan, initially offered to buy back 10% of its shares, but ended up tripling the offer to almost 30% after strong demand from Western investors. Magnit Alyans Magnit's wholly-owned subsidiary Magnit Alyans will purchase 21,905,943.8 shares, representing approximately 21.5% of all issued and outstanding shares, Magnit said in a statement. Magnit's Moscow-listed shares hit a near 20-month high on Wednesday, last trading up 0.7% at 5,940 roubles each. With the buyback price previously set at 2,215 roubles per share, the value of the deal would amount to around 48.5 billion roubles ($538.7 million). "The final number of shares purchased in the tender offer will be announced upon completion of settlement procedures," Magnit said. Magnit said shares must be transferred to the buyer, after which payment will be made, with the whole tender offer scheduled to conclude on around Aug. 10. Participants in the tender offer were given the option of receiving funds in roubles, dollars, euros or yuan in bank accounts in Russia or abroad. More than 60% of Magnit's shares are free-float, with shareholders including major global asset managers, Refinitiv data shows. JP Morgan, in an investor circular dated July 12, said "it was actively seeking to recover" shares in Magnit, which underpinned depositary receipts (DRs) JPM had issued to investors before Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Government Approval Magnit obtained government approval for the share buyback, something Western executives have said is a lengthy and difficult process. Two sources with knowledge of Magnit's plans have told Reuters that should Magnit's offer succeed, it could open the door for other companies to follow suit and allow Western investors to recoup more blocked funds.

In a 2021 study, the UN estimated that 17 per cent of total food produced for human consumption goes to waste at the retail and consumer level each year. In retail, a large amount of this wasted food consists of fresh produce such as fruits and vegetables. This is because fresh produce ordering is often still done manuall, which can lead to over and under-ordering. Now, startup Freshflow is focused on tackling this problem. The startup’s AI-powered forecasting platform makes predictions about how much produce will be needed, based partly on weighting different factors that may affect demand, including weather, season, and local events. It also incorporates available retailer data to do probabilistic modelling and predictions of how much of each type of produce is needed to match the forecast supply and demand. The entire process is largely automated; the system uses an iPad app that retailers use to track levels of produce in stock and needed. According to the company, the system is already live in four stores, including one of Germany’s largest grocery retailers and three stores in Eastern Europe. The company claims that these early adopters have already experienced a 16.7 per cent revenue boost, while producing 30 per cent less food waste.  What is more, the plug-and-play software is easy to install, snapping onto a store’s pre-existing enterprise resource planning systems, and can be up and running in a month. Other recent food waste innovations recently spotted include sustainable packaging that keeps perishable food cool, a food waste management system for commercial kitchens, and an app that helps families avoid food waste. Read more: AI reduces food waste for retailers - Springwise

It is not easy for overseas retail chains to enter the Thai market and grow rapidly. MR.D.I.Y., a major home furnishing and repair retailer from Malaysia, is one of them. And how fast did they grow expanding to almost 100 stores a year, or more than a hundred branches? MR.D.I.Y. first entered the market in Thailand in 2016 with its first store at Seacon Bangkae before rapidly expanding to now nearly 640 stores. What is the secret to MR.D.I.Y.'s success with the creation of a home furnishing and repair retail brand in Thailand, and the goal of Year 7 of MR.D.I.Y. to expand to 170 branches this year? Mr Javed, Executive Vice President of Marketing Mr. D.I.Y. Thailand, was interviewed by Capital Read. Starting from Pain Point Although the logo of MR.D.I.Y. is a hammer, which honestly communicates that it is a refurbishment and repair store, MR.D.I.Y. actually sells more than that. There are more than 15,000 items to choose from in this yellow store. Before there were so many products and branches, and why did they have a hammer logo? Let's go back to the beginning of Day 1 of MR.D.I.Y., where Tan Yu Yeh, the founder, got the idea from a pain point to buy home furnishings for Malaysians who had to shop at many stores. Many places to buy all the items. It takes a long time to get repaired, and it's probably better to have a furnishing shop in Malaysia. Repair a home that includes all the things In 2005, Mr DIY opened a small shop. First store in Kuala Lumpur. At first, he only sold hardware products. When the response came out well, he gradually expanding the product line in the store to have more along with rapidly expanding business until now, it is the largest home accessories store in Malaysia. Our home country is the first country that MR.D.I.Y. chose to expand its branches outside the country. Many people would have questioned what was the reason. "Of the 10 countries that MR.D.I.Y. has marketed, Thailand is the second highest earning country after Malaysia, which is the home country. Looking deeper into the first possibilities is the fact that the population of Thailand is more than and that it is a potential market. In principle, opportunities and branch expansion are greater. "The character of Malaysians and Thais is quite the same, only during the seasonality period, when campaigning or displaying in front of stores, the demand for products will be different. For example, during March, April, Thailand was the summer season. In front of the store, you will find summer products to choose from. Malaysia is in Ramadan. The demand for the product is already starting to differ. After six o'clock, Malaysians come to sit and cook. Let's eat. The products at the Malaysian branch will focus mostly on cooking ware." Good value for money and shop every day 'Always Low prices' is Motto. The tagline that MR.D.I.Y. uses, we think this term is not exaggerated. The price of the products at the store is quite affordable, in such a way that even if you have a list of items that you want to buy, when you arrive at the counter prepared to pay, the basket is already full. MR.D.I.Y. has more than 15,000 products to choose from, divided into 10 categories, ranging from hardware, household, electrical equipment and appliances, car accessories, home furnishings, stationery and sports equipment, toys, gifts, computers and mobile devices, to jewelry and cosmetics. "If you walk into the store, go to the store. The first thing you'll find is festive merchandise. Special price items are on the front. Next to that, when you walk into the store. Every Shelf head will find a branded product. MR.D.I.Y., which is a house brand, is placed as a choice before other brands. We put price and quality first." The store's top sellers are household goods, hardware, electrical and electrical appliances, stationery and sports equipment. Because the products are cheap and quality, prices start in units to thousands of baht. This variety of prices and items is the catalyst for making decisions easier. “MR.D.I.Y. opened for 7 years, consumer behavior and demand change according to social trends and economic conditions. For example, now everyone is looking for the value of money, 500 baht. But come to the store, we got a lot of products." Challenging and also requires branding communication. From a powerful perspective, the challenges in the retail business of selling miscellaneous goods from external factors are almost nonexistent. He told us during the conversation that the challenge for him and MR.D.I.Y. WAS to expand to 170 stores this year. And the other thing is branding communication, because in fact, many people may be addicted to the image that the store from abroad must be expensive. And many people may not know and have never tried to enter the shop once. "The perception of customers is certain, some may not know or some may already know that the yellow shop has a hammer logo. What we do must be communicated. We did a communication campaign to get Tak Boribun to be a presenter. The campaign is conducted through 5 different scenarios to simulate everyday events to convey diversity and to remind old customers who already know that MR.D.I.Y. has a wide variety of products but may not yet know that they have this product. If you compare the category of MR.D.I.Y. products to Iceberg, people who don't know us may only see us at the top, thinking that we only sell hardware, but we actually have a lot of products." Go online Year 7 of MR.D.I.Y. in Thailand is seeing an expansion from offline to online. MR.D.I.Y.'s omnichannel business is expanding its e-Commerce sales channel Shopee and launching its own website called www.mrdiy.co.th. This is after Malaysia did it 2 years ago. "We are seeing growth opportunities in online channels, especially in the retail market of home furnishing and repair products that are increasingly demanding. In this online offensive tactic, MR.D.I.Y. does not sell more than 15,000 products online, but selects more than 600 bestsellers to sell online." Three Key Success Formula of MR.D.I.Y. In the first year of MR.D.I.Y.'s branch in Thailand, the challenge was to set up the business, while the next year was to accelerate the expansion of the branch for growth and to run a self-managed business without selling franchises. In 2019, MR.D.I.Y. had 205 branches. In 2020, MR.D.I.Y. had 278 branches. In 2021, MR.D.I.Y. had 399 branches. In 2022, MR.D.I.Y. had 557 branches. As of 2023, MR.D.I.Y. has nearly 640 branches. “You can see that we are expanding branches quite quickly, because we see potential. We are a product store that can be used by everyone in the family. With a business model, to make the business grow is focusing on branch distribution throughout all provinces and urban areas allows MR.D.I.Y. branches to reach as many customers as possible. There are 3 main secrets to MR.D.I.Y.'s success: 1. Product A variety of products with tens of thousands of items, ranging from young children to the elderly, that customers can shop every day. 2. Price Price is something that MR. D.I.Y. has an advantage over others, according to the mechanism of economies of scale, that the more products you order, the cheaper you get, which is why MR.D.I.Y. products are cheaper than other brands. "MR. D.I.Y. makes products for 10 countries with over 2,700 stores. When we sell it, we can sell products at low prices, including sourcing logistics, MR.D.I.Y. is all done by ourselves, so we can control costs well, always low prices, and also have house brands that are very cheap." 3. Convenience Convenience here is a matter of location that MR.D.I.Y. wants to reach customers and get closer to them. The direction model of the store's expansion is therefore based on department stores. "In addition to standalone stores, MR.D.I.Y. also has a model called MR.D.I.Y. Express, which is a small size store in the community. "The important thing is that the business model of the restaurant is not to franchise because I want to make management as easy as possible, so I do it myself, expand by myself, invest by myself. Every part of the dialogue always emphasizes diversity, cheapness and quality, which clearly explains the DNA of MR.D.I.Y. Read more: MR. D.I.Y., a Malaysian miscellaneous shop with Always Low Prices selling that is both cheap and quality. (capitalread.co)

Discount Variety Retail chain Action (owned by PE 3iGroup) does not appear to be affected by inflation or an impending recession. Higher visitor numbers resulted in more turnover and a higher operating result. The British private equity firm 3i Group has therefore put the European retail giant on the books for a considerably higher amount. At the end of June, 3i's 9.3% stake in Action was worth € 13.8 billion, according to a press release sent out on Thursday. At the end of last year, the investor put a value of € 11.6 billion on his stake. According to 3i's calculation, all of Action is now worth more than €26 billion. With this, the European retail giant is approaching the market capitalization of Ahold Delhaize, which amounts to just under € 30 billion. The zaandam-based grocer does have a significantly higher turnover, of € 87 billion in 2022. Ahold Delhaize also employs many more people, more than 400,000 against almost 80,000 employees of Action. High gross margins "The margins at Action are a lot higher," analyst Fernand de Boer of investment bank Degroof Petercam explains the high valuation of the bargain chain. 'In addition, the growth profile is very different. Action is still going very fast and at Ahold Delhaize it is a lot more difficult to grow because of their dominant position in the markets where they are located.' British investor 3i Group bought Action in 2011 for a reported €330 million. The private equity firm has already recouped that amount several times in dividends. 3i has never indicated that it wants to sell Action, but a so-called exit is an important part of the private equity model. Analyst De Boer does not easily see a strategic partner as a buyer. "I know almost all the players in Europe and the US when it comes to retail, but I don't see anyone who is going to put such an amount on the table. Walmart could do it, but I don't think they have much need to expand in Europe. A stock exchange listing is more obvious. Or another private equity party, of course.' 300 new additional stores Action's turnover in the first half of this year amounted to €5.2 billion, an increase of 33% compared to the same period last year. The operating result increased by 52% to €683 million. The bargain chain continues to open new branches steadily. In the first six months of this year, 90 new stores opened and the plan is to open a total of 300 stores this year. The chain now sells items in 2,300 stores in 11 countries. Contrast to competition Action's strong growth is in stark contrast to a number of Dutch competitors. The Hema has had a hard time during the corona pandemic and the company has to pay €106.9 million in deferred taxes over the next five years. Hema stores in France and the United Kingdom have been closed and cooperation with French supermarkets Casino and Franprix has ceased. Turnover rose from €1.1 billion to €1.3 billion last year. A cost-cutting program should keep the increased store rent, energy bills and personnel costs under control. Discounter Big Bazar has to close two of its 135 Dutch stores due to rent arrears. In a press release sent earlier this week, the company states that 'market developments within the Dutch retail sector have led to substantial increases in charges.' The group is struggling to bear this burden. The number of visitors is larger than ever, according to the company. "But average spending is under pressure." Source: FD, 2023 Read more at the source: https://fd.nl/bedrijfsleven/1483186/waardering-action-in-half-jaar-tijd-ruim-2-mrd-gestegen

Discount Retail Chain Lidl France (owned by the German Schwarz Group) is believed be interested in acquiring 600 stores operating under the Casino and Monoprix banners in the country, according to media reports. The discounter has sent a letter, signed by its managing director Kenneth McGrath, to the UK-based investment fund Attestor, outlining a list of 300 Monoprix and 300 Casino stores it would like to acquire, Le Monde reported. On 15 July, EP Global Commerce a.s., Fimalac and Attestor sent a revised offer to Groupe Casino, which the retailer has decided to discuss, following 3F Holding's decision to bow out of the race to acquire the debt-laden group. According to a report in the publication LSA, the discounter's interest in acquiring Casino supermarkets is not surprising considering the former's market share. In the first quarter of 2023, the discount channel reported a 0.4 percentage point increase in market share in France, to hold 11% of the market, according to data from Kantar. Led by Aldi, which grew its market share to 3.0% during the quarter (a 0.2 percentage point gain), and Lidl, which now sits on 8% (a 0.1 percentage point gain), the discount channel was the fastest growing during the period. Status Groupe Casino Groupe Casino reported a 6.6% sales decline in France in the second quarter, after a 4.6% drop in the first three months of the year. Hypermarket sales were down 17.1% in the second quarter on a like-for-like basis, with supermarket sales down 13.9%, the group said. Its Monoprix arm reported a 2.2% increase in sales, and Franprix was up 4.3%. The company expects full-year core earnings or EBITDA below €300 million, against an estimate of €440 million in a business plan presented last month. In 2020, Lidl's main competitor Aldi France acquired all Leader Price stores from Casino in France, see also France: These Leader Price stores changed into Aldi's (discountretailconsulting.com) Read more: Lidl France Expresses Interest In Acquiring 600 Casino And Monoprix Stores: Reports | ESM Magazine

For the first half of 2023, private label or so called store brands continued to post record sales and share as they have for the past 18 months in the USA, according to research for the Private Label Manufacturers Assn. (PLMA). However, while dollar sales were up, unit sales were slightly down. And all the following discussion is for all categories of products; while food is overwhelmingly the largest share of private label, there are several non-food categories. Store brand dollar sales across all U.S. retail outlets increased 8.2%, vs. a gain of 5.1% for national brands, according to Circana (formerly IRI) data from the six-month period ending June 18, compared to the same six-month period in 2022. Further, measured against the first six months of 2021, dollar sales during the same period this year improved by 16%, or about $17 billion (totaling $91 billion in 2021 vs. $108 billion in 2023). But all those figures are in dollar sales, and inflation has had a positive impact on dollar sales, not on volume. Unit sales for the six months decreased 0.5%, while national brands fell 3.4%. That gap may be widening, PLMA notes. For the month of June alone, the most recent Circana report finds that while store brand units were off 0.6%, national brands dropped 5.1%. Store brand market share in dollars rose to a record 18.8% for the half-year, while unit share moved up to 20.5%, also a new high. Total store brand dollar sales for the first six months of this year were $108 billion and unit sales were 26.4 billion. Totals last year were $100 billion in dollar sales and 26.5 billion in unit sales. Among the categories Circana tracks for PLMA, the beverage category experienced the largest store brand dollar sales gain over the past 52 weeks, up 19%; followed by general food and refrigerated, both ahead 16%; then frozen and general merchandise, both +8%. Home care (7%), beauty (5%) and health (3%) also gained. In the two smallest departments, dollar sales in liquor were ahead by 20%, but in tobacco they fell 13%. Read more: Private Label/Store Brand Sales Rose 8.2% in First Half of This Year | Food Processing

Discount Retail Chain Lidl Spain (owned by the German Schwarz Group) achieved a net sales in Spain of 6,08 billion euros in 2022, 18% more than the previous year, due to the evolution of inflation, but also due to the "organic growth" of its business, with the opening of new establishments and an "increase in both the number of customers and spending in stores". As reported by the German chain, this increase in sales allows it to "underpin" its position as the third operator in the food distribution sector by market share. The Corporate General Director of Lidl Spain, Ferran Figueras, pointed out that "in a complex year marked by multiple challenges that impact our operations, we have managed to maintain our path of sustainable growth in Spain by being faithful to our commitment to the Spanish customer and responding to their needs by putting at their disposal an assortment with the best value for money in the market". "In 2023 we continue to focus our efforts to remain a benchmark in price containment and creation of shared value with Spanish society even in adverse conditions," he added. Over the past year, Lidl invested more than 350 million euros to continue rolling out its sustainable expansion plan in the country. In this way, the company opened some 40 stores throughout Spain and promoted projects to expand its logistics infrastructures in the coming years, culminating the construction of its new logistics platform in Escúzar (Granada) and acquiring two new plots in Constantí (Tarragona) and Villadangos del Páramo (León). Regarding the context of high inflation, the company stressed its work to "not fully transfer the increase associated with its operations in the final sale price of its items and thus facilitate the savings of Spanish families as much as possible". Lidl explained that it has carried out a "permanent" price containment policy, keeping its products "below" the food CPI; An investment of 125 million euros additional offers and promotions and an absorption of cost overruns, which rose by 37% in the case of energy and 20% in transport, "at the expense of their own margins". The CEO of Lidl Spain, Claus Grande, said that they have focused "on putting people as a priority with actions that shield the purchasing power of our employees and contribute to saving our customers even more, and we understand that only then will we be closer to our goal of being the first choice for all of them, whether as a company to work for or a supermarket chain where you can trust your shopping basket." PERSPECTIVE As for this year, Lidl said that it will increase the remuneration of its employees by 5%, as contemplated in the agreement, and has the prospect of creating around 1,000 new jobs. In addition, it will continue to act as a "price containment dam" to facilitate savings. It also plans to "intensify its link" with the Spanish agri-food industry with more purchases and exports of national product and continue to deploy its expansion plan with an investment of about 230 million euros to add a score of new stores and further expand its logistics network. Recently, Lidl has launched a warehouse in Escúzar (Granada) after allocating € 88 million and creating 250 new jobs and has started the works of its future logistics platform in Martorell (Barcelona), which is called to be its largest logistics investment in history in Spain, among others. EMPLOYMENT AND PURCHASING In 2022, Lidl created nearly 1,000 new direct jobs throughout the territory, which already allows it to have a workforce of about 18,500 people. Employees have increased more than 40% in just five years, after adding some 5,500 new jobs in total. In addition, during the year, the III Collective Agreement 2022-2025 was signed, which includes a minimum wage increase of 18% for four years, which can reach up to 19% depending on the CPI. Likewise, a salary review clause of up to an additional 4% was incorporated for the first time once this agreement expires, which will also be based on the CPI. On the other hand, Lidl executed record purchases worth about 6,7 billion euros, 17% more than in 2021, to more than 900 suppliers, exporting more than half, which also reaches a maximum, to more than 30 countries. The company especially highlighted the purchases of fruit and vegetables of national origin, whose value marked a record last year after exceeding 2,7 billion euros, 9% more than in 2021. 80% of these purchases were exported. Read more: Lidl managed to reach 2022,6 million in sales in Spain in 000, 18% more (lavanguardia.com)

Discount Retail Chain Biedronka (owned by Portuguese Jeronimo Martins) entry into the world of electromobility, every corner of the country will have access to fast chargers for electric and hybrid cars. By the end of next year, they will appear in 600 locations at Biedronka stores in both large agglomerations and smaller cities, and each device will be able to charge up to three cars at the same time. Thus, 1,800 charging points will be created, which will be operated by Powerdot. The first stations were launched in July this year, in Warsaw. Later this year, at least 150 such devices will be built at Biedronka stores. The construction of the largest and widely available DC electric car charging system has no precedent in Poland, both in terms of scale and power of charging stations. Thanks to the cooperation between Biedronka and Powerdot, which is responsible for the installation of the devices, the existing fast charging infrastructure in Poland, with a capacity exceeding 100 kW, will triple. Charging stations will be placed in car parks of stores in both large cities and small towns, providing wide access to the new service throughout the country. Each station available at selected Biedronka stores will have a power of 120 kW, which in practice will mean the possibility of quick and comfortable charging of an electrician (with a battery with a capacity of 50 kWh) in about 20-30 minutes, adequate to the duration of shopping in a nearby Biedronka store. After such an operation, it will be possible to drive an exemplary electric car about 200 km. The network of chargers at Biedronki will be located throughout the country in such a way that the movement of electric vehicles on Polish roads will be possible, only using the car charging network at Biedronki throughout the country. This is another field where Biedronka is a pioneer in Poland, revolutionizing the nationwide electric charging network. Thanks to our scale and presence in every corner of the Polish, we will shine new bright spots on the Polish map of electromobility, not only in big cities. The stations will have three connectors: CCS, ChaDemo and Type 2. Thanks to this solution, users will charge not only almost every electrician, but also a plug-in hybrid. Using devices located at Biedronka stores will not require creating an account, using the application or paying any subscription. Various forms of payment will be possible: a bank card through a built-in payment card terminal, a QR code without registration, as well as an RFiD card as part of roaming (thanks to which subscribers of other charging service providers will also be served). In the construction of electric car charging stations, Biedronka cooperates with Powerdot, which is the investor (i.e. owner) of the stations, as well as their operator. It will also be responsible for their functioning from the side of energy sales, payment and software, and customers will have at their disposal a round-the-clock support center. The aim of the project is to make charging infrastructure available to everyone, i.e. residents of both small and large towns, as well as to fill the market niche, which is the shortage of high-power chargers above 100 kW. The project is in line with the idea of "destination charging", i.e. charging the car while performing everyday duties. The cooperation between Powerdot and Biedronka, covering the launch of 600 stations by the end of 2024, is the largest program of this type in Europe, created by a commercial network and a charging station operator. The first two stations were launched in Warsaw. Read more: Biedronka and Powerdot revolutionize the nationwide charging network for electric and hybrid vehicles

Discount Variety Retail Chain OnePrice (co-founded by Levan Paikidze) appeared in Tbilisi. As the company's marketing manager Maia Jangulashvili. According to Business Media Georgia, the first store was opened in January 2023, and two months later they have seven stores throughout the city, and soon they will open the eighth store. "The history of OnePrice starts in Kyiv, Ukraine in 2018 and the company has about 100 stores. We have been in Georgia for two months and we do not stop at this, we will open a new store on Agmashenebeli Avenue in the near future. We will fulfill the plan provided by the business plan within 3 to 6 months and if everything goes right, we will take all the districts of Tbilisi and show up in the regions. We import products from different countries, both from Europe and Asia, we import directly, but we also cooperate with local distributors", said Maia Jangulashvili. According to him, the company manages to establish itself in the competitive market with low prices and different products. "We're new first, but we think soon OnePrice will be one of the strongest players in the market. From our competitors, it sets us apart from the fact that there are everything in one place from home inventory, kitchen accessories, chemistry, toys, self-care products, cosmetics, stationery items, baby hygiene, toys, zoo products, electrical tools, food products to drinks, etc. "Great choice, low prices", this is the company's slogan and I think it responds to the company's policies. It's not just a slogan, for the slogan, the regular price of products with us is low compared to competitors," the company's marketing manager said. When asked what the company manages to maintain a low fee, its representative refrains from answering. OnePrice's marketing manager notes that the local population was soon able to interest and at the first stage, only customers interested in the novelty always return next time. Maia Jangulashvili says that the Georgian market is quite interesting for foreign companies, here business processes are simplified, which is an important priority for foreign investors. The company currently employs up to 100 staff, the number of which is gradually increasing. Read more: Ukrainian brand OnePrice appeared in Tbilisi network markets | BM. GE

Discount Variety Retail Chain Action (owned by 3i Group), the fastest growing chain of non-food discount stores in Europe, already employs 4,000 people in Poland. The chain has been present in Poland since 2017 and has 278 stores, enabling residents of 212 Polish cities to access a wide range of products at the lowest price. Action plans further dynamic development in Poland and maintaining annual employment growth at the level of approximately 1,000 employees. Action is present in 11 European countries, providing customers with its unique formula: 6,000 good quality products in 14 categories, at the lowest possible price. Every week, 150 new WIGIG products appear on the shelves, and over 1,500 items from the assortment, some available at a price below PLN 5. The first store of the brand in Poland was opened in 2017 in Leszno. In total, Action currently has 4,000 employees in Poland. Exceeding this threshold occurred with the launch of the brand's newest store, which was officially opened on Saturday, July 1 in Gdańsk. For each store opening, Action employs 12 people, from the store manager to the store employee. The company also has a Polish headquarters and operates three Distribution Centers in our country. "We are very proud to welcome our 4,000th employee, Oliwia Leszczyńska, assistant store manager in Gdańsk. This milestone underlines the dynamics of Action's development in Poland. Thanks to our rapid development, we employ about 1,000 people per year. By the end of 2023, we will hire 600 new employees", says Ewa Dawiec, HR Manager Action in Poland. "In all the positions we fill, from store workers to supply chain specialists and property managers, we all share Action's values: Customer Focus, Teamwork, Simplicity, Discipline, Cost Awareness and Respect. They are the basis of our success because they form the basis for our interactions with each other, our customers and business partners." Action's commitment to creating a unique workplace is based on hiring people who share the brand's values, as well as investing in the career development of existing employees. By the end of 2023, the company plans to promote over 260 employees in Poland. Action also strongly focuses on young people who are just entering the labor market and are looking for a friendly place to start their career path in a friendly brand environment. "Enabling our colleagues to grow together with our brand is part of our success. We are convinced that internal promotions are the driving force of commitment, long-term cooperation, and are also a strong asset of Action during the recruitment itself. They are also key to preserving DNA Action with such intensive development. Our rapid expansion enables us to provide mobility and internal promotions for employees. For example, one of our Regional Managers started his career as an employee of our first Polish store", explains Ewa Dawiec. "There is no shortage of such stories both in the current team and among the employees who have been with us since the very beginning of Action's presence in the country. No matter where our colleagues are, they are the key to our success. Their commitment and energy allow us to achieve our ambitions", he adds. Action is the fastest growing non-food discount store in Europe, offering an ever-changing range of around 6,000 products in over 2,000 stores to more than 12.8 million customers each week. In addition, every week another 8 million consumers visit the Action.com website. Action employs more than 65,000 people in 10 countries, representing more than 124 different nationalities. Offering a constantly surprising assortment at the lowest prices, we are constantly improving our products in terms of quality and sustainability. Action Promise: Small prices. Big smiles. Read more: Action liczy już 4 000 pracowników w Polsce i zatrudni kolejnych – SCF News Retailnet