Greek supermarkets: Sklavenitis’ new hypermarket; AB Vassilopoulos strikes back

Sklavenitis is opening the first hypermarket after the acquisition of Marinopoulos in the coming days, continuing to invest in large stores.

Just 14 months after the gavel fell, which gave the former MAVA-Renault building to Sklavenitis, the chain’s 33rd hypermarket is a fact, turning the “Renault hub” into a “Sklavenitis hub”.

The new large “hall” with an exhibition space of over 4,700 sq.m. in a total area of ​​16,500 sq.m., includes a wide variety of basic goods and floor items (bazaar items, furniture, etc.), as well as a cheese and charcuterie section, a butcher, a fishmonger, a pastry shop, a ready-made food section, a cosmetics section, a flower shop, a patio and playground.

In addition, following the modern imperatives for sustainability and the goal of saving energy through the use of RES, more than 500 photovoltaic panels have been installed on the roof of the new store, while it has two underground parking spaces, as well as one more on the roof, with a total of more than 200 parking spaces, as well as electric vehicle charging points.

This move is part of the overall investment plan of Sklavenitis, which consistently focuses on the upgrade of its network of stores, the operation of new points and the expansion of Sklavenitis eMarket.

Sklavenitis makes a hit

The former MAVA-Renault building of in the area of ​​Nea Philadelphia, on Skra, Thessalonikis and Lachana streets, was auctioned on September 8, 2021 with Cepal Hellas acting as the bidder and the first bid price at 4,050,000 euros.

After several bid the property was auctioned for the amount of 11,200,585 euros, with the Sclavenitis group winning.

AB Vassilopoulos responds

At the same time, AB Vassilopoulos with its own large “hall” is attempting to “break” the dominance of the leader of organized retail in the Marousi area.

Although the project has faced several delays, the construction of the new large store of AB Vasilopoulos on the land of the Mimikopoulos Foundation, a few meters from the “ring” of Attica Road in Marousi and on Kifissias Avenue, is progressing, with the aim of operating within the first half of 2023.

After all, AB Vassilopoulos is clearly trying to “intensify competition in areas where it was not yet present, in order to increase its shares in organized retail”, as the chain’s new brand president, Nikos Lavidas, noted a few days ago.

The second store of the chain on the axis of Kifissias Avenue, after the store in Faros Psychikos, will compete with the two large Sklavenitis stores in the area, in the Avenue shopping center and at the Kifissias roundabout above the entrance to Attikis Odos, but also the store owned by the latter in The Mall Athens shopping center.

In addition to Marousi, the rivalry between the two top “players” is also intensifying in Chalandri, where the new store of AB Vassilopoulos in the new retail park of Trade Estates AEEAP of the Fourlis group is expected to open in the next few days.

At the same time, however, AB Vassilopoulos continues to target the sector of small stores by strengthening its network with franchise stores (AB Shop&Go and AB Food Market).

Big and small

The tendency of the pandemic to choose very large (hypermarkets) and very small (convenience stores) stores for shopping seems to be holding well, while it is also reflected in investment movements.

On the one hand, there are the comfortable spaces and most of the offers that are usually hosted in the large halls, and on the other hand, the access to a short distance and the convenience for quick and direct purchases.

It is indicative that based on the data of  IRI measurement company, the contribution of the halls from 2,500 sq.m. and above in the value of organized retail sales increased by 5.6% in the nine months of 2022 compared to the same period last year.

However, during the same period, stores up to 400 sq.m. saw much greater growth, reaching 9.8% on an annual basis.