Lisbon, 13 March
2013 - The Jerónimo Martins Group's operations in Colombia
start today, in the city of Pereira, with the opening of the first
ara stores and the first Distribution Centre.
Pereira is the capital of the
coffee-growing area known as the Eje Cafetero, a region chosen for
the launch of operations due to its highly significant logistic
advantages, given the nature of the business and the efficiency
that the Group seeks in all its operations.
A total of five stores will be
opened today and tomorrow. The ara stores are proximity food
stores, with a strong presence in residential neighbourhoods. They
combine a cheerful and colourful store environment with an
architecture and product layout that offer a very pleasant shopping
experience. The average sales area is between 300 and 600 m2 and
each store has around 15 employees.
The store concept is derived from
an in-depth analysis of the market and of the needs and tastes of
the Colombian consumer, resulting in the definition and
implementation of a business model that is unique in the country
and totally focused on the consumer.
The ara pledge is to offer
consumers quality products, including a range of Private Brand
articles, at stable and highly competitive prices. As in all the
geographic regions in which the Jerónimo Martins Group operates,
most of the assortment and Private Brand products are produced
locally.
The ara Brand was developed in
collaboration with McCann Colombia and is inspired by the country's
immensely rich biodiversity and particularly by the fact that
Colombia is considered "a paradise of birds". Emotional and local
dimensions were decisive in the choice of the Brand's symbolic
territory.
The investment envisaged for 2013
is €100 million, with the aim of reaching around 40 ara stores by
the end of the year. Besides the implementation of the expansion
plan, the team will be focused on identifying opportunities for
improvement in service and consumer choice as well as in the
management of operating costs.
The opening of the first stores
reaffirms the Jerónimo Martins Group's commitment to contributing
to the country's development and progress, supporting local
industry and respecting the culture and values of the surrounding
communities.