Artur Kawa unveiled Stokrotka's new strategy and, in accordance with previous announcements, ended his involvement in the operational management of Emperia as the president of its management board and confirmed his candidacy to Emperia's Supervisory Board.
He recommended Dariusz Kalinowski, the existing vice-president of the management board with whom he's been closely working and creating Emperia's successes for 10 years, as the new president of the management board. The Supervisory Board received Artur Kawa's recommendation and appointed Dariusz Kalinowski as the president of the management board. At the same time, the Supervisory Board appointed Cezary Baran as vice-president of Emperia's management board.
As a businessman, Artur Kawa is synonymous with Emperia. He is Emperia's founder and the co-author of its greatest achievements and successes. In July 2012, he decided not to sell Stokrotka, instead opting to reorganise and develop it. In September 2012, he appointed Stokrotka's new management board, and currently proposed a new strategy, jointly developed with the board. Together with an experienced and very ambitious management team, he's embarking on a new chapter in his business life.
Stokrotka's new strategy is aligned with the market trends in Poland, where discounts and supermarkets will be gaining market share at the expense of small and medium stores and hypermarkets.
Stokrotka will evolve to more closely meet the expectations of its clients. Today, it has a wide assortment, friendly service and convenient locations. In the future, it will place an even greater emphasis on attractive pricing and convenience.
Stokrotka will have its own logistics system based on a distribution centre in Teresin near Warsaw and a network of regional warehouses throughout Poland.
The in-house logistics system will enable Stokrotka to improve the effectiveness of its entire supply chain - from the producer to the consumer, and will ensure a higher quality of the products on offer, as well as their higher availability.
Stokrotka's in-house logistics also mean lower operating costs for suppliers and new co-operation opportunities. The logistics system will service all Stokrotka locations in Poland, and its operating costs will be comparable to those of good European chains. Expenditures connected with implementing the system are insignificant, and the system will be capable of expanding in subsequent years in line with the supermarket chain's development.
Stokrotka returns to dynamic organic growth at a level of 15-30 supermarkets per year, and Emperia will consolidate the retail market through M&A, having a chance to become the key player in the Polish supermarket segment.
The new strategy has been well received by shareholders, investors and analysts, who see long-term potential to increase Emperia's share price.
Information about Emperia Group:
Emperia is a dynamic and reputable Polish group focused on the FMCG retail segment.
Founded in 1990, Emperia has been creating retail history in Poland for 23 years. Emperia Group operates in three areas: FMCG retail, IT and property. It employs 6 500 workers.
The Group's operations are coordinated by Emperia Holding S.A., a company that has been listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange for 12 years. Emperia Holding S.A. is responsible for developing strategy and monitoring progress at all of Emperia Group's companies.
Retail segment – comprises the operations of Stokrotka, Maro Markety and PSS Tychy.
Stokrotka Sp. z o.o. is a company with Polish capital and rich traditions in Polish retail. Founded in Lublin in 1994, the company operates throughout the country. The first Stokrotka supermarket was founded in Łęczna near Lublin in 1996. The chain currently consists of 201 stores.
Stokrotka's typical sales area is 400 - 800 sqm, depending on the market's needs and conditions, however the chain also includes profitable locations that are either smaller or bigger than this. Stokrotka's total sales area is 126 000 sqm. Every supermarket has a total of 26 000 assortment items. They offer a wide array of fresh products: meats, fruits and vegetables, baked goods, dairy, chemical products, household cleaners, as well as alcohol and wines from all over the world. Stokrotkas also offer local products from regional suppliers. On 1 March 2013, Stokrotka unveiled its new strategy - "A new and even better Stokrotka." The in-house logistics system is a significant element of the new strategy. The system is set to launch in its entirety in July 2013.
IT segment – since the consolidation of the Group's IT companies, completed in 2012, the IT operations are carried out by Infinite.
Infinite Sp. z o.o. offers a wide range of technological solutions for both large and small manufacturing and retail companies. The company develops solutions for supporting strategic business processes, electronic data exchange and document workflow. It provides B2B integration solutions for transaction optimisation through automating relations between business partners. Infinite is present in Poland and in certain other European markets: Croatia, Romania, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Bulgaria.
The property segment manages Emperia Group's property assets. The segment invests exclusively in facilities such as supermarkets and mini shopping galleries. It manages Emperia's properties, procures new locations and executes development projects.