The turnover of Carrefour Group, the third-largest retailer in Romania, is expected to exceed €1 bln from business on the local market, allowing its entry into the billionaire club alongside Metro, which passed the threshold as far back as 2004, and Rewe, whose consolidated turnover in 2006 amounted to €1.5 bln.

“Our turnover this year will exceed €800 million, and we will pass the one million euro threshold next year,” said Jacobo Caller Celestino, General Manager of Carrefour Operations in Romania.

The rise in turnover is due to the expansion of the hypermarket network, and the company’s entry onto the supermarket segment, through the takeover of the Artima chain.

The German Metro group was the first international retailer to come onto the local market in 1996. Rewe came to Romania in 1999, initially with its Billa supermarkets, later expanding its cash&carry Selgros divisions and XXL Megadiscount stores in 2001, the latter becoming Penny Market XXL and Penny Market in 2005.