Belgian retailer Colruyt Group has said that it is keen to increase its market share in major cities from around 20% to its national average of 30%.
Christophe Dehandschutter, director of Okay, one of Colruyt's banners, commented, “We want to significantly increase our presence in cities. More and more young people and families are settling in cities. It is important for us to be part of their world and the street scene.”
The group is planning to prioritise Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent for urban expansion over the next ten years, as part of an 'urban action plan' unveiled by the business.
New Openings
This week, the group opened two outlets – a Collect&Go Walk-in store and an Okay Compact – on Louizalaan in Brussels.
With the new opening, the Okay Compact brand now has seven branches in Brussels, as well as six in Antwerp, four in Ghent, one in Liège, one in Blankenberge and one in Halle.
According to Colruyt, the brand sees the potential for 100 branches across Belgium, noting that reaching 20 branches represented a 'significant milestone'.
Its Collect&Go brand, meanwhile, is investing heavily in home delivery, offering home delivery services to 16 of the 19 municipalities in Brussels, reaching 400,000 households.
Eco-Friendly
Both of the retailer's new openings are fossil-fuel free, boasting eco-friendly refrigeration systems that produce 90% fewer CO2 emissions than traditional cooling systems, the retailer said.
In addition, the stores are heated using the heat released by the cooling system, energy-efficient LED lighting reduces power consumption by 30% and there are six bicycle parking spaces.
“On Louizalaan, we are aiming for Brussels residents who want to do their grocery shopping by foot, bike or scooter," commented Tom De Prater, manager of Collect&Go. "Our goal is to encourage sustainable mobility and contribute to more environmentally friendly mobility in the capital."
