Supermarket chains build more stores

The expansion of supermarket chains has also contributed to an increase in construction activities in the country.

Makro Indonesia, a subsidiary of Dutch-based SVH Holdings, which at present operates 14 stores, plans to open three more 10,000-square-meter (sq m) supermarket outlets in the country this year as part of its expansion plan.

Matahari, the largest retailer in Indonesia in terms of sales, plans also to build eight more outlets this year, double the amount planned by French retailer Carrefour.

The new Makro store design for Indonesia is a single-story, warehouse building with 10,000 sq m of floorspace, including a 1,300-sq-m fresh produce section for hotel, restaurant and catering customers.

The research department of Singapore-based construction information service BCI Asia reported that the new supermarket outlets would be part of the US$3.2 billion construction projects with significant retail components to commence in Indonesia this year.

At present Carrefour has about 10,000 sq m of retail space in each of its new stores in Indonesia, although it builds much larger stores in other Southeast Asian countries.

Supermarket chains in other Southeast Asian countries are also expanding their networks to take advantage of rising domestic consumption.

Makro, which operates 60 stores totaling more than 500,000 sq m in five Asian countries, also plans to open two new retail warehouses in the Philippines and another two in Thailand, this year, BCI Asia reports in its website bciasia.com

The new Carrefour hypermarket in Kepong, Kuala Lumpur, will have three stories and 46,450 sq m of floorspace when it is built this year.

The Carrefour hypermarket in Chantaburi, Thailand, also to start construction this year, will be two stories with 20,000 sq m of floorspace. These properties will include retail space, storage areas, delivery yards and car parks. -- The Jakarta Post