Mega Image launches frozen foods store in Romania

Mega Image has launched a new retail brand in Romania – AB Cool Food– which sells exclusively frozen foods. The first such outlet was officially opened today at 45, Ion Mihalache Boulevard in Bucharest.

Romania is the first country where the Belgian Delhaize group has brought this new retail concept, explained Catalina Aldea, the commercial director of Mega Image. Most likely, the store in the Ion Mihalache Boulevard will be the only such outlet opened this year, but expansion will resume next year. However, company representatives refused to offer concrete expansion targets.

The AB Cool Food store sells some 600 products, ranging from frozen fruit, vegetables and meat products, to ready-meals, pastries, ice cream and cakes. The products are mostly Delhaize private labels or other imported brands. The store has a sales surface of 180 sqm.

Aldea said the launch of this new store should build trust in frozen foods among Romanian consumers. Most of them are reluctant when it comes to such products, fearing lack of freshness and quality, although this is not the case, she explained. At present, the consumption of frozen foods is mostly seasonal in Romania.

Mega Image has recently reached a network of 250 stores in Romania, out of which 100 are Shop&Go proximity stores (with a smaller sale surface than regular supermarkets) and the rest are Mega Image supermarkets.

After opening 88 new stores in 2012, Mega Image increased its profit 3.5 times to RON 46.7 million (EUR 10.5 million) in 2012 compared to the previous year, while its turnover was up by 44 percent to RON 1.75 billion (EUR 394 million).

In 2013 the retailer continued its aggressive expansion strategy, focusing mostly on the smaller Shop&Go format. It opened 88 new outlets in 2012 after the previous year it opened 33 new units. This year, the number of new stores closes 90 units.

Part of Belgian Belgian Delhaize group, Mega Image has stores in Bucharest, Constanta, Ploiesti, Pitesti, Braov and Targoviste and other local cities.

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