German hypermarket chain Kaufland opened its 1500th store in Europe on Thursday, November 24. The new unit is located in Bucharest, Romania, with a sales space of approximately 3,400 sqm.

The new location created 100 new jobs, the company said.

Opened in Bucharest's District 3, Kaufland Basarabia is equipped with modern solutions and technologies that ensure high energy efficiency standards. For example, solar panels installed on an area of over 550 sqm supply the store with electricity, following an investment of EUR 100,000.

Also, the new hypermarket has an ecological green roof of over 1500 sqm, consisting of a mix of plants resistant to weather conditions.

The parking lot has a capacity of about 270 places, of which 11 are for people with disabilities and 7 for parents. The car park also has charging stations for electric cars and bicycle racks. Also in the parking lot, customers can find a self-service machine they can use to recycle packaging in exchange for extra-discount vouchers.

In Romania, Kaufland has a network of 158 units. With the new location on Basarabia Blvd., the retailer reached 20 stores in Bucharest.

Kaufland opened its first store in Germany in 1968 and is currently present in eight European countries. Its annual turnover is EUR 27.3 billion.

The retailer's international expansion began with its entry into the Czech Republic market in 1998. By 2006, openings followed in Slovakia, Croatia, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria. In December 2010, the company celebrated its 1,000th store in Europe with the opening of the Berlin-Lichterfelde store, while in 2019, the first Kaufland store in the Republic of Moldova was inaugurated.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Kaufland)