Eurocash : Duży Ben and independent business owners ready for nationwide expansion

Duży Ben and independent business owners ready for nationwide expansion

2018-02-21

Press release

21 February 2018

Duży Ben and independent business owners ready for nationwide expansion

Independent entrepreneurs in Poland will receive new capabilities to compete against discount stores. Duży Ben, a new type of alcoholic beverage store chain created by Eurocash Group, is opening up to franchising.

'As a partner to independent retailers in Poland, Eurocash Group's task is to create additional opportunities for the owners of small and medium-sized retail stores to grow and compete against discounters. This is why we are investing in innovative retail formats such as Duży Ben. We have tested this concept and verified the best solutions. Independent research shows that sales at Duży Ben locations are nearly 50% higher on average than in other liquor stores and even twice higher in the wine and whisky categories. We are ready to provide our concept to franchisees,' said Luis Amaral, Eurocash Group's CEO.

The first Duży Ben site was opened in May 2016 at ul. Hetmańska in Poznań. Currently, the chain includes 12 own stores in the Wielkopolska region. Thanks to franchising, these shops, featuring a distinct logo, will soon open up in cities across Poland. The cooperation proposal is directed to business owners already operating both liquor stores and general grocery stores with a liquor licence. Those considering becoming specialised in this category but also people who do not yet have their own site will also be able to join the Duży Ben network.

What exactly can future franchisees count on? 'As Duży Ben, we are providing store fitting, including furniture and shelves, signage and other elements of inside and outside visual identification, a cash register system as well as initial product deliveries on preferential terms. Importantly, we are also providing marketing support, including cyclical promotional campaigns, a loyalty programme and modern tools for running and controlling a business. Our clients can also count on operational support from a store supervisor. By joining the Duży Ben network, clients benefit from the support and purchasing power of Eurocash Group, which has 20 years of experience in developing franchise chains,' said Piotr Kupczyk, manager in charge of Duży Ben expansion. 'Our stores are modern and friendly establishments where women also like to shop. We have asked our female customers about their opinions - they responded that they feel safe at the store and in its vicinity. They also pointed out large glass shop windows, good lighting as well as nice and competent advisors,' summarised Piort Kupczyk.

About Duży Ben
Duży Ben is a modern liquor store format created from the ground up by Eurocash Group, combining an extensive attractively priced product offering and expert advisory. Duży Ben stores are built around the one-stop-shop concept. This means that shopping at Duży Ben is suitable for any occasion: from a beer after work, through meetings with friends, to birthdays and even weddings. Everything needed, such as alcoholic beverages, drinks, snacks and accessories, is available in one place. The concept features innovative sales tools such as Winomat, which is a special wine machine that lets you taste the wine prior to purchasing, or a beer tap that makes it possible to buy beer straight from the keg, poured into bottles. These are solutions that so far were available only in restaurant formats. Self-service is a very important convenience feature - the stores are clear, safe and open to customers. Thanks to this, clients may approach clearly marked shelves and select the alcoholic beverages that they want. Aside from well-known and popular spirits brands, the stores also feature a wide array of craft beers and wines from the most popular regions as well as all ingredients necessary to prepare drinks, snacks and glasses for all types of alcohol.

Aside from the Duży Ben concept, Eurocash is also investing in the development of retail formats such as abc na kołach or Kontigo, which, after completing testing, will be developed in the franchise model. The Group is also offering its clients ready innovative solutions such as Faktoria Win, Piwne Terytoria and Whisky On The Rocks, which make it possible to grow sales in the most important product categories for independent retailers in Poland.

***

More information on Duży Ben's franchise offering is available at www.duzyben.pl/franczyza

***

Grupa Eurocash is the largest Polish company that distributes food products on a wholesale basis and provides marketing support to independent Polish retail business owners. The franchise and partner chains supported by Eurocash include over 14 000 independent stores operating under brands such as abc, Groszek, Delikatesy Centrum, Lewiatan, Euro Sklep and Gama.