GREECE: Delhaize has no plans to exit Greece, business there prospering | Progresiv

Belgian food retailer Delhaize said it had no plans to leave Greece and that its stores there were prospering, although it has taken measures to deal with a possible Greek debt default.

Delhaize operates Alfa Beta, the second largest food retailer in the country, part of a southeastern Europe division which makes up some 14 percent of group sales.

"We have taken a number of measures to prepare for the possible consequences of a possible Grexit," spokesman Nicolas Van Hoecke said, adding the Greek business was doing very well. "We do not plan to leave," he said.

Revenue at Delhaize's operations in southeastern Europe, which include grocery stores in Greece, Serbia, and Romania, grew by 3.2 percent to 3.08 billion euros in 2014, with expansion in Greece despite a weak retail sector.

"We opened 27 stores in Greece in 2014 and we have opened 17 more this year," Van Hoecke said. "We offer high-quality products at affordable prices to our customers, and this has ensured our success in Greece." (www.reuters.com)