Portugal's Continente, part of the Sonae MC Group, has opened seven new convenience stores under the Continente Bom Dia banner in the first half of the year, creating more than 370 jobs in the process.
The new stores were opened in response to customer demand for smaller, more convenient shopping options, the retailer said.
The new stores are located in the districts of Setúbal, Guarda, Lisbon and the Algarve, in Vila Real de Santo António and Olhão.
Each store is between 1,000 and 1,500 square metres in size, and are well-stocked with local products, Continente said.
Optimistic For Growth
In 2017, Continente opened a net 20 new outlets, of which 19 were Continente Bom Dia outlets. Last year, €98.5 million was invested in new store openings, while a total of 1,080 new jobs were created as a result.
The group said that it is 'very optimistic' about the performance of Continente Bom Dia in the years to come, and said that its goal for 2018 is to 'continue to be a flagship' for the proximity channel in Portugal.
Earlier this summer, Sonae announced that it is introducing sushi kiosks in several of its stores across Portugal, in a bid to grow its food to go sales.
The kiosks, which feature sushi prepared by a certified sushi chef, were unveiled at supermarkets and hypermarkets in Oeiras, Braga, Matosinhos, Forum Coimbra, Amadora, Telheiras, Colombo, Guia, Cascais, Seixal and Vasco da Gama.
© 2018 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
