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Colombia: Ara stores represent 7% of the revenues of the Portuguese group Jerónimo Martins

Discount Retail Chain Tiendas Ara (owned by the Portuguese Jerónimo Martins) already represents 7% of the revenues of the Portuguese group Jerónimo Martins, the European conglomerate dedicated to retail. Geographically we find Jerónimo Martins in Portugal, Poland and Colombia.


Tiendas Ara's operations in Colombia began 10 years ago with the company's first retail stores and distribution centers.


Jerónimo Martins will continue to invest in Colombia

Jerónimo Martins manages revenues of more than 25 billion euros per year and has existed for 231 years. Its headquarters are in Lisbon, Portugal.


The company is a leader in Poland with discount retail chain Biedronka, with a presence in more than 1,000 towns and cities, 4 million daily visits and 50% of its assets, whether newly built, inaugurated or renovated, in the last five years.


The company has an impressive share of private label sales of more than 40% not including fruit and vegetables in Poland, lower in other countries.


Ara in Colombia are part of the company's growth strategy, and JM already has more than 12,000 employees in the country, with almost 1,100 stores and a closing of 2 billion euros in annual sales, with a record of more than 42% in private labels.


JM has connections with agribusiness, where it ensures a sustainable supply for its production. This includes dairy, livestock, aquaculture and fruit/vegetable businesses.

The company's sales achieved solid figures during the first 6 months (2023), and consumer demand remained strong despite inflation.


Pressure on household disposable income was particularly strong in Colombia, but price sensitivity and cautious behaviour were the rules, not the exception, for each geography in which the company operates.


According to one Wall Street firm: "Colombia is experiencing high and long-lasting inflation (one of the problems of investing in South America), which has led to increased volume pressure on food retail and increased downward trade."




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