Caprabo has completed the renovation process of its entire commercial network, comprising some 300 supermarkets in Catalonia. This strategic project, which was launched in 2019, has required an investment of more than 60 million euros and has allowed the chain to implement a new store model adapted to the needs of today's consumer and lay the groundwork for a new phase of growth that includes the opening of more than 60 new points of sale in three years.
Coinciding with the celebration of its 65th anniversary, the chain's goal is to open around 20 new establishments per year between 2024 and 2026, both owned and franchised, so its network will grow to approximately 360 stores. The company believes that it is at an optimal moment to increase its market presence and strengthen its brand positioning, based on a proximity retail model and a very wide range of products that guarantees the customer freedom of choice between private labels and manufacturer brands.
To demonstrate its potential, Caprabo will rely on the new generation store model it has deployed in recent years, which has resulted in a sales increase of over 10% in each of the renovated establishments. The renovation also entails an energy saving of 20% and guarantees consumers a new shopping experience, with a strong focus on fresh products, technological developments and innovations, new sections, and additional services such as self-checkout tills. All of this is accompanied by initiatives to boost savings, such as the intensification of promotional policies and also through personalized discounts that are articulated through its loyalty program and the Caprabo Customer Card.
"The supermarket renovation plan carried out by Caprabo in the last five years is one of the most relevant in recent years. We are the supermarket company with the longest history and we have a very heterogeneous network of stores, so we have made a great effort to adapt the supermarkets to the new needs of the consumer. Today, clearly, they are stores better prepared to respond with a model that is yielding very positive results," highlights Edorta Juaristi, general director of Caprabo.
According to the executive, the update of the points of sale "is a living process," in the sense that the chain permanently introduces innovations to adapt to market changes and customer profiles. Thus, for example, in the supermarket that Caprabo has on Avinguda Josep Tarradellas, an evolved store model has already been implemented.
Renovation of L'illa Diagonal and boost for franchises
After renovating 21 more stores in 2023 ---the last significant remodeling has been the supermarket on Travessera de Gràcia, in Barcelona---, Caprabo considers the transformation plan practically completed, as only the renovation of L'illa Diagonal, its most emblematic establishment, with a commercial area of 3,900 square meters, remains pending.It is planned that this flagship will be reformed throughout the first semester of 2024.Caprabo has executed the reform plan in parallel with the new openings plan, especially of franchised supermarkets, which have allowed the brand to intensify its presence in the cities where it already operates, but also to reach many new municipalities. The chain started the franchise model in 2011 and after this first decade, the balance is very positive, since franchises are growing at double digits, driven by their positioning as proximity and convenience stores, with a small surface area but, at the same time, with a wide assortment that especially cares for fresh products. This type of establishment, like the one that has just opened in the Gràcia neighborhood of Barcelona ---on Bailén street---, offers extended opening hours, from Monday to Sunday from 8 am to 10 pm.
Caprabo, which reached sales of 743.6 million euros in 2022, faces this new growth plan after also having updated its logistics system and thanks to the stability provided by the entry of a new strategic partner in its shareholding. Regarding the first issue, in mid-2020, the chain opened a new logistics platform in the ZAL of the Port of Barcelona to which it moved its corporate headquarters and centralized the shipments of fresh products and orders from Capraboacasa, its online supermarket. In parallel, it invested in improving its Abrera warehouse, responsible for the logistics of non-perishable products.
A few months later, in March 2021, the Eroski Group, until then 100% owner of Caprabo, transferred 50% of the capital to the investment company EP Corporate Group, owned by the Czech businessman Daniel Křetínský, owner of 25% of FNAC and who has just acquired the French publisher Editis from Vivendi. This operation gives Caprabo stability and resources to execute its strategic plan and reaffirm itself as the oldest company in the Spanish distribution sector.