Dia Group has reported a 6 per cent annual drop in sales at its Minipreço supermarkets in Portugal to €823 million in 2015, compared to €876 million a year earlier.
The group ended last year with 621 stores in Portugal (compared to 634 in 2014), of which 361 are owned stores and 260 are franchised.
Dia Group’s corporate director, Amando Sánchez, admitted that the results in Portugal "are not good", adding that the drop in sales was partly due to a reduction in its number of stores.
However, he pointed out that the sales results for 2016 are encouraging so far, with a 10 per cent growth for Minipreço Market.
This comes after the recent transformation of the business in Portugal, which gave the brand two formats: Minipreço Market (neighbourhood convenience stores) and the Minipreço Family stores, which are new spaces located in the suburbs that offer parking and a greater product selection.
These new stores have an average size of 800 square metres, and include new sections such as fishmongers, butchers, delis, and takeaways, as well as cafeterias and cosmetics.
Dia Group also introduced management changes in Portugal, as well as changes to its communication strategy and pricing policy.
© 2016 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
