Inácio Rosa / Lusa
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Jerónimo Martins Group, Pedro Soares dos Santos
After Portugal, Poland and Colombia, group arrives in Slovakia. Right in the first month, five stores will open.
Louis Montenegro’s statement to the country, censorship motion, confidence motion, a government fall in sight… but other things were happening. And one of them was an important economic and strategic “jump” for one of the largest companies in the country.
A Jerónimo Martins entered last week in the food flap of the Slovakia. The step was taken through the internationalization of Ladybirdthe largest chain of supermarkets in Poland.
On Wednesday a distribution center was inaugurated in Voderady, about 40 Bratislava Quilometersand the first store in Miloslavov.
The entrance of the bahedronka in Slovakia is the first step of internationalization Given by an insignia of food retail of the group that holds the Pingo Doce (Portugal) and ARA (Colombia) chains. Slovakia is thus the fourth country where Jerónimo Martins operates, after Portugal, Poland and Colombia.
At the inauguration of the Distribution Center, the president of the Jerónimo Martins group, Pedro Soares dos Santos, said it was a “Very important day” and that the company carefully selects the countries where it bets.
The entrance to Slovakia “has a very important symbol“It is“ the year when Biedronka is 30 years old and that for us it is a pride to achieve what we have achieved, ”says Jerónimo Martins, Pedro Soares dos Santos.
“This entrance is very interesting in Slovakia, deep down is the demonstration of the maturity that this company has and the importance of knowing how to continue to grow and (…) show the work of my colleagues,” continues the official, adding that the group worked year and a half to enter this market.
In addition, said Jerónimo Martins in a statement, this was a “marketing mark because it is the arrival of a New ‘Player’ to the Slovak market in the last 20 years“.
“We are here to learn With Slovak Consumers, ”said Pedro Soares dos Santos, who argued that without strong consumers, strong companies and strong“ there is no business ”for both sides.
He also pointed out that the growth is in the group’s “DNA”.
At the inauguration of the first store, which “is in the satellite” of the capital, as Maciej Lukowski mentioned, several dozens of people were waiting for the tape to enter the store, from mothers with children in the strollers, to wheelchair people, as Lusa noted at the site.
The store has 1,250 square meters, with the sales area representing 850 square meters, according to the executive chairman.
“We bring from Poland the concept of the store“From the most modern stores, but there are“ adaptations to the local market, ”he added.
In this type of store they usually work about 20 people.
Baedronka Eslovakia’s executive president (CEO) said in an interview with Lusa that the investment provided for in Slovakia is about 75 million euros by the end of 2025 and This month five stores are opened.
The group registered sales of 33,465 million euros by 2024, an increase of 9.3%, with the Polaca Bihedronka chain with a growth from 9.6% to 23,570 million euros, Pingo Doce rose 4.5% to 5,073 million euros and ARA advanced 17% to 2,850 million euros.
Stuffing sales rose 1.9% to 1,357 million euros and Hebe those grew 24.3% to 583 million.
The annual results are released on March 19.
