Esselunga has announced plans to expand the rollout of its La Esse proximity store format.
After opening the first La Esse store in Milan (Corso Italia) in December 2019, the plan is now to open at least a dozen stores by the end of the year, most of them in Milan.
Construction work on the first four outlets is underway and these should be opened in the next few months.
Urban Shoppers
Speaking to Corriere della Sera, Esselunga’s new CEO, Sami Khale, explained that the retailer’s growth strategy will focus on consumers that are looking for “more convenience, and a multi-channel approach between e-commerce and supermarkets”.
He added that Esselunga “will open many stores within the next 18 months in locations such as Genoa, Mantua and Livorno”; cities where the banner is not yet present.
Capex Investment
The retailer is planning to replicate last year’s investments, which amounted to €300 million.
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Esselunga continued to expand its network, with the opening of two new stores in Milan and Lecco, which were part of a package of six former points of sale of Auchan Retail Italia.
The store in Milan is of a smaller format (850 square metres) and features gastronomy, bakery, pastry, fruit and vegetable and packaged fish departments.
The one in Lecco, which has a surface area of 1,500 square meters, is more similar to standard Esselunga stores.
© 2020 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
