Casino to invest almost zl. 1 bln in supermarket expansion

French Casino group, owner of Géant and Leader Price supermarkets, says it will develop its sales network in an investment projected to reach zl. 5 billion by the end of 2004. Over the next two years, the group plans to spend around zl. 455 million per year. If successfully completed, the whole operation should leave Casino controlling 22 Géant supermarkets and 180 Leader Price shops. On Tuesday, the group opened its fifteenth shopping mall in Poland. Casino's investments since 1996, when the group entered the Polish market, amount to zl. 3.4 billion. The firm closed last year with zl. 2.46 billion in sales, but has not yet started to generate profits. This situation will most likely change next year or in 2003, say the company's authorities. (Prawo i Gospodarka, p. 6) J.K.