Koch Invests R$ 150 Million

The Koch Group, the supermarket that grew the most in 2019, with an 82.31% increase in revenues, invested about R$ 150 million during the year. Exclusively to The Giro News, José Koch, president of the Group, reveals that the business was strengthened by the cash & carry flag, the Komprão Koch Wholesaler. "Last year, strategic planning was aligned with internal improvements and expansion. We opened 7 stores, one retail and 6 cash & carry." According to José, each unit receives investments between R$ 10 million and R$ 15 million. "This year, we intend to open about 5 operations in the regions where we already operate, including both formats," he anticipates. The next inauguration is expected to take place in August. Present in 14 cities of Santa Catarina, the Koch Group has 29 stores, 15 of which are SuperKoch, 13 Komprão Koch Wholesaler and 1 Koch Express. According to the president, the convenience format has given good results. "The Koch Express flag is on our radar to be developed in the future," he says. For 2020, José points out that the Group wants to increase revenues and gain positions in the Ranking of the Brazilian Association of Supermarkets (Abras), in addition to maintaining a growth above the market average. "In the first five months of the year, we grew 48% year-on-year. So we believe that we will close 2020 with a rise of between 40% and 45% in revenue." The pandemic generated a 60% advance in Koch Group sales. "Our e-commerce platform has increased by up to 200%," says José. The entrepreneur explains, however, that the channel has less than 1% stake in the business and only serves the mode of supermarket. "The expectation for the coming months is that the sector will continue to grow, driven by increased consumption at home." Another strong movement in the market is digitization. The president points out that it is important to provide a fast shopping experience for consumers. "It is essential to try not to have friction with the customer, avoid queues and transmit security in stores, especially at this time", he concludes.