Briefs

Orlen's new filling stations

150 new filling stations are to be opened by PKN Orlen in the next three years. The investment will reach the amount of PLN 1 bln. By the end of 2006 the company wants to operate 1020 stations, each of them supposed to sell 3.1mln of fuel per year. Orlen has a 30% stake in the gas stations market selling ca 40% of fuel in Poland.

New Empik's stores

The retail chain Empik has announced the opening of three new stores in Poland in 2004, starting with the first one in Rzeszów (South Poland). At the end of last year there were 56 Empik's stores. Empik specialises mainly in press, books, CDs and multimedia and is a major player in this market segment. Starting last year the chain has seen new competion enter the market. The first Traffic store was opened in Warsaw city centre, the second one to be in Blue City shopping centre, also in Warsaw.

KrakChemia's profit

KrakChemia, the operator of supermarkets Alma and DIY stores Dom Hobby Ogród among others, has announced its financial forecasts for 2004. KrakChemia Group expects to achieve a net turnover of PLN 270 mln and net profit of PLN 6.2 mln. The forecasts for the retail branch are PLN 155 mln and PLN 4.1 mln respectively.

Schlecker in Poland

German drugstore chain Schlecker has decided to expand its activities in Poland and Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia and Denmark. The company has an ambitious plan to open some 1,000 stores in 2004. The company's turnover for 2003 was EUR 6.55 bln and expects to close 2004 with a turnover of EUR 7 bln. Currently Schlecker operates a network of 13,300 stores in Western and Southern Europe.

Eastbridge chooses property manager

GP Bis has won a property management contract for Eastbridge's 27 department stores portfolio (over 400,000 sqm). The contract value for the next five years is estimated at PLN 25 mln. GP Bis will manage the properties in various locations in Poland with support from GE Capital Golub, its strategic business partner. Impel, the GP Bis' parent company will provide cleaning and security services.

LPP profits forecast

The Capital Group LPP, has forecast net profit for 2004 at PLN 43 mln and a turnover of PLN 550 mln. This year the Group (the owner of Reserved clothes stores) will launch a new brand, Cropp, whose primary target will be young people of between 25 and 30.

Better Biedronka

The turnover of food retailer chain Biedronka has grown 14% last year, it's mainly because of 34 new shops acquired last year. Currently there are 672 Biedronkas in Poland, the Polish chain is one of the best Portuguese Jeronimo Martins businesses.

MarcPol in Targówek

The Polish shops and supermarkets chain MarcPol has leased 2,500 sqm of the warehouse space in 'Elemis' complex in Targówek, Warsaw. Maxon Nieruchomości was the agency involved in the deal. MarcPol's chain consists of 33 stores in Warsaw, Białystok (East Poland) and Częstochowa (South).