Supermarket chains build more stores

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