French retailer Système U has posted a 2.3% increase in turnover in full-year 2018, to €19.94 billion, its president, Dominique Schelcher, has revealed.
Schelcher, who succeeded Serge Papin as president of the French group nine months ago, outlined the group's performance in an interview with Les Échos, in which he also stated that the group's market share is now 10.7%, a ten-basis-point gain on the previous year.
In the interview, Schelcher said that Système U saw a 10% increase in online sales last year, and it is investing more on 'digital transformation' this year, with the roll-out of a new web platform and mobile app, as well as using artificial intelligence to develop its product sheets.
He is also committed to growing the business in rural areas – half its outlets are in municipalities with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants – as well as in major cities, with the business recently opening a 'pedestrian drive' outlet in Lyon.
Fair Price
On the recently introduced loi alimentation, which seeks to improve relations between retailers and suppliers, Schelcher told the newspaper that the legislation supports the 'fair and responsible pricing strategy' that the group already operates with its suppliers, with the business sourcing some 20% of its offer from local suppliers.
Système U currently operates 1,579 stores across France.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
