“Sales are registering an upward trend in the first quarter. What we noticed at the beginning of this year, which I find very interesting, is that laptop sales are increasing in certain Real stores. We did not expect this, but it is a fact. Networks specializing in electro-retail are having problems, closing stores, and because consumers come to buy foodstuffs, they also purchase such products from us,” Tjeerd Jegan, General Manager of Real Hypermarket Romania, told Business Standard.
As concerns differences which have arisen in terms of consumer habits, Jegan said that “in the non-food sector, people are buying less expensive products, especially products on promotion, while in the food sector, the trend is still positive, although we are noticing differences between product categories.” Real’s General Manager explained that because the price of pork and beef is related to the evolution of the euro, the sales of poultry rises.
The company’s strategy, drafted based on the current economic situation, focuses on three major directions: own brand, client loyalty, and fresh products. Regarding the retailer’s expansion plans, the company official said that Real Hypermarket Romania will continue to expand, because Romania provides many opportunities.
