The Portuguese subsidiary of wholesaler Metro AG is expected to achieve a €400 million turnover per annum by next year, if not sooner.
Speaking to the Lusa news agency, the CEO of Metro AG, Olaf Koch, said that the group is “constantly increasing revenues” in the Portuguese market, following a period in which Makro Portugal underwent a restructuring that led to a 20% reduction in staff numbers.
Since 2015, Makro Portugal has benefitted from greater local autonomy at commercial and operational levels, Koch added.
In the 2017/2018 fiscal year, to last September, Makro Portugal’s turnover stood at €379 million – an increase of around 4%, compared to the previous period.
One of Makro Portugal’s bets is on the HoReCa channel, where it has been doing “very well”, according to Koch, while the delivery service “continues to grow in double-digit” figures.
New Locations
Metro is looking to open more outlets in Portugal, where it currently operates ten stores, but it has not set out a timeline for this growth.
The head of Makro Portugal, David Antunes, has identified Serra da Estrela, Covilhã and Madeira as areas of the country that may see such investment.
Meanwhile, the Metro Group has reiterated its commitment to significantly reducing its use of plastic over the coming years.
According to Koch, the company has already replaced plastics in hundreds of SKUs.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
