Retail In Brief: The Musketeer Group; Biedronka; Komfort

French retailer ITM has unveiled plans to invest zl. 350 million this year in expanding its Polish operations, including the opening of a new logistics centre near Czestochowa, which will cost around zl. 120 million. The M usketeer Group plans to open a further 35 Intermarche supermarkets and 15 Bricomarche DIY outlets during 2003 and aims to increase turnover to zl. 1.8 billion this year, compared to zl. 1.2 billion in 2002. ... Portuguese retailer Jeronimo Martins (JM) has disclosed plans to expand its Biedronka discount network by 50 stores this year to reach around 680 outlets by the end of 2003. After selling its other retail operations in Poland (the cash'n'carry chain Eurocash and hypermarkets Jumbo) JM intends to conc entrate on the activities of Biedronka and in the longer term the company hopes to have 2,000 discount stores nationwide. ... Komfort, the countries largest home furnishing retail chain, which currently has around 100 o utlets, is planning to spend zl. 8 million - zl. 9 million (ca. euro 2m) on three advertising campaigns (in the press and on TV) this year. The company ended 2002 with sales revenues of zl. 720 million. In 2003 it plans to open ten new stores. (Retail News is C/O PMR Ltd, Retail Update No. 10, www .polishmarket.com)