Polish convenience retailer Żabka has announced the completion of what it has described as the 'biggest store remodelling [programme] in Europe', with some 6,500 outlets now operating under a new concept.
The store modernisation process began in 2016, with the conversion of 51 stores, and continued up to earlier this month, when the final converted store was opened at 2 Boya Żeleńskiego Street in Warsaw.
During 2018 and 2019, when the conversion process was at its peak, Żabka was converting as many as four stores per day, it said.
Brand Positioning
According to the retailer, the update has had a positive effect on brand positioning, sales effectiveness and a growth in the number of customers visiting its stores.
"We have completed one of the biggest store remodelling processes in Europe, involving almost all departments of our company," commented Tomasz Suchański, president of the board at Żabka Polska.
"Since 2016, we have modernised over 4,000 stores, while at the same time opening 2,500 new locations. We have made key changes not only in the visual identification of the stores, but also in the product mix, arrangement and equipment. The new format has attracted 20% more new customers and allowed us to respond even swifter to consumer needs."
Żabka welcomed the support of its owner CVC Capital Partners in assisting with the conversion process.
Currently, Żabka operates more than 6,500 stores across Europe, with a further 500 outlets planned to open between now and the end of the year.
© 2020 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine
