Carrefour plans 2003 retail expansion

Continuing its market expansion, the Carrefour Group intends to open two-three hypermarkets in 2003 and 10-15 supermarkets under the Champion brand. "The company's turnover last year was zl 3.5 billion, much in line with our expectations", said Carrefour spokesperson Agata Paszkowska. This year, the group will spend zl. 500 million to zl. 700 million on investments depending on how many licenses it is able to secure. Last year the company opened three Carrefour hypermarkets and four Champion supermarkets at a cost of over zl. 650 million. Since 1996 the firm's investments in Poland have topped zl. 3.5 billion and it now owns 13 Carrefour hypermarkets and 55 Champion and Globi supermarkets employing 11,000 people nationwide. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 15) J.K.