On 21 September 2023, Colruyt Group reached an agreement with Match NV and Profi NV, subsidiaries of the Louis Delhaize NV group (“Louis Delhaize”), to acquire 28 Match stores and 29 Smatch stores in Belgium.
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Development
Transformation of Match and Smatch stores in Belgium
Comarkt and Comarché: 39 stores converted in eight weeks
In March 2024, 39 Match and Smatch stores were initially converted into Comarkt stores, or Comarché stores in French-speaking Belgium. This Colruyt Group concept is used temporarily before the stores are converted to their final retail format. Within eight weeks, the stores opened under their new temporary banner at an average rate of five stores per week.
Christophe Dehandschutter, the project lead, explains:
This approach allowed us to ensure continuity for both customers and employees as effectively as possible. However, each conversion week was a particularly intensive operation. After the clearance sale, the store was thoroughly cleaned and equipped with a new IT network. Minor adjustments were made to the infrastructure, and Colruyt Group software was installed on the tills so that customers could use Xtra from then on. The shelves were subsequently restocked with new products, including Colruyt Group’s own brands, and new price labels were added. The new logo was installed on the front of the building and inside the store. Employees also received training to help them work with the new software systems.
Key figures:
- 39 stores were converted into Comarkt or Comarché stores in eight weeks.
- One store, located in Belsele, will remain closed for the time being. Its floor area is too small for a Colruyt Group retail format. The possibilities for this location are currently being assessed.
- Six previously franchised Match and Smatch stores covered by the agreement are being converted into Spar stores. Discussions with one independent operator are still ongoing.
- Seven stores will close for a longer period before reopening directly under their final banner: three Bio-Planet stores, one Colruyt Lowest Prices, one Cru, one OKay and one store in Mechelen whose future retail format is still under consideration.
Final store formats by 2027
The conversion to Colruyt Group’s final store formats is scheduled for completion by 2027. The expansion comprises 21 Spar Colruyt Group stores, 14 Okay stores, 10 Colruyt stores, 6 Bio-Planet stores and 1 Cru market.
Each store underwent a thorough assessment to determine which format would best meet the needs of its local community. This expansion strengthens Colruyt Group’s presence in Wallonia and Brussels. Where necessary, the approach to a new store format is adjusted during and after the conversion to meet customers’ needs as effectively as possible.
