Italy's Bennet has acquired a Carrefour hypermarket and shopping centre in San Giuliano Milanese, expanding its presence in the Lombardy region.
The acquisition will take the number of Bennet-branded stores to 74. The group is active in the hypermarket and shopping centre sectors across northern Italy.
The agreement also provides for the employment of all 120 people operating in San Giuliano Milanese.
The two businesses coming under Bennet's control are located along the Via Emilia, a busy location with high frequency of visitors.
The sales area of the hypermarket is about 7,300 square metres, while the shopping centre, which includes about 20 other shops, extends for over 16,500 square metres.
Rebranding Strategy
The rebranding strategy envisages that the hypermarket will be fully integrated into Bennet's commercial plan in September.
This first step involves the immediate replacement of the banner, the addition of all private-label product lines in the assortment, and the activation of the Bennet customer loyalty programme.
The hypermarket will be overhauled entirely in line with Bennet's business model, with a major focus on fresh produce by the end of the year.
According to Bennet, pricing will also be revised "in line with the brand's policies, which favour a quality/price ratio based on convenience, together with promotions".
The Bennet e-commerce service will be introduced at San Giuliano Milanese in 2022, which represents one of the pillars of the retailer's business model and a key growth factor.
At the same time, the shopping mall will be renovated and re-marketed, the company added.
The rebranding of the Carrefour hypermarket and shopping centre in San Giuliano Milanese follows the acquisition of the Bagnolo Cremasco hypermarket and shopping mall in 2019, and the acquisition and rebranding of nine other hypermarkets and superstores formerly operated by Auchan Retail Italia.
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest Retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine
