GPA will renew galleries hypermarkets

São Paulo-about three years ago, Grupo Pão de Açúcar (GPA) started the minisshoppings, plan to create a business arm for real estate. The idea evolved and the company''s goal now is to take advantage of the large spaces of parking in certain Extra hypermarket stores in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, to build galleries with small shops and services.
The network provides six new galleries, with at least 2000 square meters of gross leasable area (GLA) each. In this way, the areas can receive more than 15 satellites, as well as shops food courts.
The first to receive the Extra space will be the pillars, in the northern zone of Rio de Janeiro. There, the GPA Malls-real estate arm Grupo Pão de Açúcar-will build 18 shops, food court with eight fast-food spaces and a restaurant, plus gym and drugstore-which will be the only project to receive the mark of the Extra network itself.
Other five-four stores in São Paulo and one in Rio de Janeiro are planned to receive the designs of new galleries. The company provides for inaugurating the first units in February 2017. "We are developing new spaces to offer complementary services to the consumers who go to the supermarket. It is a trend of success seen in countries where the Casino operates that way, like Argentina and Colombia, "said the DCI Director of GPA Malls, Luiz Henrique Costa.
In South American neighbors, the company operates with the flags Éxito (Colombia) and Libertad (Argentina). "Colombia''s example is quite interesting. There the company left a gross lettable area very similar to our more than 800 1000 square meters available for hire "reports.
Currently, the GPA has 350 1000 m ² of GLA spread across 17 Brazilian States, plus the Federal District. With the areas of the new galleries, the Director believes that the available space jump to about 364 1000 square meters.
The amount to be invested in ventures was not released by the retail leader. In addition to the model of galleries in hypermarkets, the GPA Malls currently operates with two smaller: the malls Conviva River and the Conviva Belo Horizonte. Already small shops in the inland areas of supermarkets and malls, which although still common have not left the paper, are on the radar of the company for years to come.
"The project Conviva worked, but we''re leaving him a little more side, even on the economic crisis, to work in this model of galleries," admits Costa. There is no prediction to inaugurate new minisshoppings-at least until 2018. According to the Director, investor demand for slots in the shops of new galleries began.
Trend
For partner/founder of Stockler, consulting firm specializing in retail and franchise, Angelina Stockler, GPA''s decision to revitalize the gallery spaces in very timely. "These spaces attract entrepreneurs because they are cheaper, on issues such as rent and condo, that malls, and also because they have more security and flow of consumers", he explains.
According to the consultant, in countries such as the United States and Canada, companies already work in this model between services trade and hypermarkets. "People today give more value to the time. They want to do everything in the shortest time possible. This model attracts because the consumer can do everything in the same place, "he says.
Competition
Sought, the competitor Carrefour, through its subsidiary of Carrefour Property real estate, said he has worked in order to offer more services and leisure for its consumers in the areas of hypermarkets. "The network has remodeled its stores from 2013. The new releases are already built with the concept of inclusion of locáveis stores, in addition to best toilets and other services, "said the company, in a statement.
The two companies claim to have achieved growth of their real estate arms last year, in comparison with the previous year.