Portuguese supermarket chain Pingo Doce is aiming to close the year with 400 stores, up from the 385 that were in operation at the end of H1 2015.
In an interview for daily Diario Economico, the director general of Pingo Doce, Luís Araújo, said that the retailer is focused on organic growth, but is also on the lookout for acquisition opportunities.
Commenting on the Portuguese food retail sector, he said that the market remains “difficult” and is still too early to talk of a recovery, but admitted there are already “slight signs of growth”, with consumers opting for smart purchases and a good price/quality ratio.
Araujo was speaking at the official presentation of Chef Express Pingo Doce, a new food processor that has resulted from two years of study and development in partnership with Portuguese manufacturer Flama. According to Araújo, the plan is to sell more than 50,000 units in the first year and to achieve a market share of over 50% in this segment. The unit price of each Chef Express is €399.
Pingo Doce is owned by Portuguese conglomerate Jerónimo Martins.
© 2015 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
