Dutch retailer Jumbo is reportedly looking to open its first store in Belgium, in Bree, in the north-east province of Limburg.
The retailer is set to open the store in a new retail park being developed by real-estate developer Immo Bree Invest, which will be located close to the Dutch border, according to trade publication RetailDetail, quoting sources close to the developer.
Jumbo’s store will occupy approximately 2,000 square metres of space, and the retail premises was reportedly previously offered to other Belgian players, which were not interested.
Bree already boasts Aldi, Carrefour Market, Colruyt, Delhaize and Lidl outlets. Other tenants in the retail park are expected to include Brico, H&M, ZEB and McDonald’s, among others.
Expansion Plans
In November, the chief financial officer of Jumbo, Ton van Veen, confirmed to trade publication Gondola that the retailer was looking at the Belgian market for future expansion.
“As part of our long-term plan, we are looking at options to enter the Belgian market,” van Veen said at the time. “First, we want to see what possibilities there are.”
It has also been reported that Jumbo intends to open as many as 30 outlets in Belgium between now and 2019. No timeline has been set for the proposed Bree opening.
Jumbo reported that sales rose by 4.7%, to €3.76 billion, in the first half of its financial year.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
