Unknown, dribble regional crisis

Thiago Nagumo, partner at supermarket chain, with 42 stores Nagumo in Sao Paulo State, the most peripheral regions, is optimistic. For 2016, expects to expand between 15% and 20% after sales grow 6% in 2015. "I thought last year would be bad and, in the end, it was better," says the Manager of 31 years. Because of the crisis, he says that arose many opportunities to buy competing stores closed their doors. Last year, the retailer opened a unit and plans four more this year, as well as a new distribution center in Guarulhos (SP), where is its headquarters. The network of Nagumo, which relaunched in 2001 the brand founded by his grandparents in the 60, whose 12 stores had been sold at the end of 90 years to the Pão de Açúcar group, is not the only retailer against the market. In a bleak scenario for the sector – last year retail sales, excluding cars and building materials, fell 4.3%, discounted the inflation – some companies have managed to keep a favorable performance. "There are real jewels hidden in the Brazilian retail sector," noted Edward Land, President of the Brazilian Society of Consumer Retail (SBVC), from the ranking that brings together the 300 largest companies in sales. On this year''s list, made from 2015, data were identified 79 national retail unknown. Together, these companies sold last year R$ 49.5 billion, almost a quarter of the 10 largest revenues, which amounted to 195 billion R$. "Almost a third of the 300 largest retailers are simple management companies, often regional leaders with relevant, high productivity and unknown nationally," said Land. Part of them reported for the first time this year the recipe. Another part came in ranked by estimate, taking into account sales per store of three competitors. The process was validated by the auditing firm KPMG. Secret. The network, which does not disclose the Nagumo billing, but that in estimating the SBVC would of been R$ 1.9 billion last year, the pillars of success are the negotiations favorá-available on purchase and provide customer service. An example is the presence of the old Packer, figure rare today in large supermarkets. Thiago Nagumo summarizes the company''s strategy in relation to the day to day business and investments as "well grounded". That''s the bet the direction of another "jewel" revealed in the ranking, the Gaucho network of furniture and appliances Lebes, commanded by Otelmo Drebes. "We have nothing exceptional: our company is familiar, capitalized and marked by professionalism," says the President. With 135 stores, the network sold R$ 900,000,000 in 2015, a 4% growth in revenue. For this year, it is expected to grow between 4% and 5%. Drebes told that always financed sales on credit itself. "We received interest income rather than pay interest." The Manager explains that, with the crisis and the shrinkage of competitors, open opportunities stores in major cities. After 60 years of operation, last month for the first time the retailer has crossed state lines and opened the first store in Santa Catarina. For the next year, six shops, most of them on the coast of Santa Catarina. Despite the recession, the pace of opening of shops remained. Six stores were inaugurated last year, seven are scheduled for this year and six next year. Land, SBVC, points out that there is a false idea that the Brazilian retail sector is concentrated. The strength of regional leaders – who know best the customer, can make a good cost management and achieve sales growth rates better than the big national networks – is proof that this assumption is not true. In the pharmacies, for example, that practically no sense the crisis by the fact of selling medicine that is an essential item, the ranking revealed other "found": the Drugstore São João, with 500 stores spread in the South and estimated sales R$ 1.085 billion in 2015. "St. John''s differential is its size, which had not been revealed," says Land. Sought, the company had no spokesman to comment on the results. Performance. Already the almost century-old Drugstore Catarinense, which in 2006 was renamed Cia Latin American Medicine (Clamed), also owner of the flags, Popular, Farmagora Price Pharmacy and Proformula, appeared for the second time in the ranking. With 350 stores in 2015, the company made 1.8 R$ billion and grew almost 24% compared to 2014. This performance exceeds the mark obtained in the same period by industry giant Lane Drogasil, with sales advanced 21 percent, according to the ranking. Birth Limiro, Vice President of Clamed assigns part of the result to the market itself, which grew at a double-digit rate. But consider that the Group has been based on organic and sustainable expansion, with the opening of shops. The company ended last month with 382 stores in the States of Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul, Paraná, Mato Grosso do Sul, and São Paulo.