Mega Image CEO: We will maintain the expansion pace at the level of 2017. The main challenge: lack of work force | Progresiv
Mega Image retailer maintains for 2018 the expansion pace of last year, when it opened 69 stores, Vassilis Stavrou, the CEO of the company, told Progresiv. 
"We experienced a double-digit business growth for last year. The scenario for this year looks like this: we do not expect the market to have the same rhythm of growth as in 2017, but we will grow at a rate of at least one figure. Moreover, for us the pace of expansion will not be reduced, we still have room for expansion on the Cluj market, we have carefully analyzed other cities and at the right time we will launch there", pointed Vassilis Stavrou.
On the list of goals for this year is also the remodeling of stores operating under the Shop & Go banner. According to Mega Image CEO, half of Shop & Go units have been remodeled, the process being finalized this year. At the end of 2017, Mega Image owned a chain of 340 Shop & Go stores.
At the same time, Vassilis Stavrou mentions as a priority the development of online business operations, which will become an "important link" in the future.
"We launched our own online store last year. We will continue our collaboration with eMAG. Online is not currently a significant business segment, but it will become. Especially since the growth rates we see online are higher than offline", the executive explained.
However, this year's staff shortages remain, also felt by the Mega Image retailer, which currently has over 10,000 employees.
"There is a need for a national plan to find a solution to this problem. Infrastructure needs to be improved in order to bring employees even from other countries near Romania, as it is the case with some companies", Stavrou concluded.
Mega Image owns a chain that currently includes 600 stores in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Constanta, Ploiesti, Brasov, Targoviste and other cities in the country, under the Mega Image, Shop & Go and Gusturi Romanesti banners.
