Ametller Origen reaches 120 stores and expects to invoice 450 million this year

"Our mission is to accompany families who base their diet on fresh products." With this phrase, Josep Ametller summarizes the working philosophy of Ametller Origen, the chain he founded with his brother 20 years ago and which today has become one of the largest Catalan groups in the distribution sector, with a turnover that reached 387 million euros in 2021 and is expected to reach 450 million this year, a 16% increase.

In the last decade, on average, the company has registered a sustained annual growth of 27% and has expanded its network to 120 establishments, with the challenge of reaching 160 points of sale within two or three years. When the Ametller brothers opened their first store in Penedès 20 years ago, they started with three employees and today they have a staff of 3,400 people and more than 800,000 identified customers thanks to their loyalty card or club.

The cultivated land area has also grown, as the family has gone from having 20 hectares to 1,200, becoming the largest horticultural producer in Catalonia. The verticalization of the business model, that is, the control of the entire value chain, from the land to the plate, is one of the main hallmarks of Ametller Origen, which supplies its stores with 60% of fruits and vegetables grown directly in its fields. Another 15% comes from associated farmers and the rest is bought from third parties. Even so, only 45% of what the group produces in its crops is sold in its network of stores.

Framed within its sustainability strategy, which aims to achieve emissions neutrality by 2027, the main project on the table for Ametller Origen is the construction of the Agroparc Penedès, a productive complex based on the principles of the circular economy and landscape-integrated into the territory, which will involve an investment of 180 million euros. To finance this initiative, the company is considering various options, from bank debt to European funds, but also contemplates bringing in a minority partner to its capital, according to CEO Josep Ametller.

"The Ametller Origen group does not need any partner; we have reinvested all our profits since the beginning and in 2023 we will reach zero net debt, but to face the magnitude of Agroparc Penedès and gain financial muscle, we are open to all options," states the businessman. According to Josep Ametller, this possible partner "would in no case have more than 20% of the company's shareholding." "We will prioritize other options, but we do not rule out bringing in a minority partner," he points out, after assuring that every week he receives "six calls from potential interested parties," which is why he has commissioned Banco Santander to channel and evaluate the different proposals.

The 387 million euros invoiced in 2021 represent a growth of 16% compared to the 335 million recorded in 2020. In the last fiscal year, the chain has made an investment of 17 million euros destined for the opening of 15 new stores and the renovation of 15 establishments. The goal for 2022 is to increase investments by almost 50%, with a budget of 25 million that will be allocated to the inauguration of 15 more stores and to carry out another 20 renovations.

With these remodels, Ametller Origen seeks to update its points of sale to improve the customer shopping experience and, especially, to expand the surface area by incorporating adjoining commercial premises. According to the CEO, from now on no more small stores will be opened, but instead the focus will be on larger establishments located both at street level and in retail parks.

Currently, Ametller Origen already has six stand-alone stores, meaning they are located in an individual warehouse outside city centers. The goal is for six of the 15 new stores to open this year to be in this new format, based on a surface area of about 1,500 square meters. Two of the planned openings will be in Blanes and Palafrugell; in both cases, these are buildings constructed from scratch specifically for the brand. In parallel, the chain is committed to transforming and incorporating into its network supermarkets from other chains that go on sale or are in the process of closing. Thus, the brand has already acquired two stores located in Vilanova i la Geltrú and Girona that belonged to Dia and an old Caprabo located in Castelldefels that has already become one of the group's ten main stores.

In the last year, Ametller Origen has continued to boost online sales, although it still has a long way to go, as for now it only generates 3% of its revenue. In the city of Barcelona, it receives about 400 orders a day.

Sustainability is a priority for the company, which has just launched a new 100% recyclable packaging for its ready meals that will now be extended to packaged meat and fish. These are cardboard trays covered with a plastic film that can be easily removed after use to facilitate recycling and recover all the cardboard. The Director of European Financing, Public Affairs, Sustainability and CSR at Ametller Origen, Marta Angerri, announced that at the end of the first quarter, a pilot test will be launched in a group of the chain's stores to encourage the recycling of cardboard from these packages. The idea is for customers to bring used trays to the stores and, in return, they will receive points that can be redeemed for discounts or products. "We need the collaboration of customers; it is very important that citizens also take responsibility for recycling," highlights Angerri. These new packages will allow the elimination of up to 50,000 kilos of single-use plastic per year.