German hypermarket operator Globus Gruppe has posted a marginal (0.1%) increase in turnover in the first half of its financial year, to €3.89 billion.
EBIT for the period, from 1 July to 31 December 2018, stood at €166.3 million.
The group reported that its German hypermarket operation saw a 1.1% increase in turnover, to €1.74 billion, while the period also saw it expand its Russian and Czech Republic businesses.
However, its DIY business saw a decrease in sales of 0.5%, to €851 million.
Hypermarkets
Commenting on the performance of Globus’s hypermarket division in Germany, Johannes Scupin, chief executive of Globus hypermarkets, said, “The record summer of 2018, with the two [hot] months of August and September, naturally led to slight sales losses in the food trade, but we see ourselves as fit for the future.
“Our range of services, especially in the area of freshness, is something special, and our customers appreciate the consistency of our products,” added Scupin.
The group reported that it is focusing its attention on increasing its in-house production facilities, for products such as sushi, salads, antipasti and food to go, all of which feature at the group's newest hypermarket opening, in Chemnitz.
“We are constantly working on expanding our freshness expertise at all locations,” Scupin furthered.
Outside Germany
In Russia, Globus opened its 14th hypermarket in the period, in Balashikha, east of Moscow.
The group posted a 6.1% increase in sales in Russia, to RUB 54.15 billion (€740 million).
It has also increased efforts to offer digital services in its Russian business, with new self-scanning solutions rolled out in Krasnogorsk, Pushkino and Klimovsk.
In the Czech Republic, meanwhile, sales were up by 4.2%, to €563 million.
There, too, the group is focusing on digital solutions, with a pilot click-and-collect offering being introduced in the capital, Prague.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
