ROMANIA: 1 Minute owner to invest in a new store concept | Progresiv
Lagardére Travel Retail, the French group that operates 1 Minute proximity chain, invests in a new concept of stores on the local market. Currently, the retailer operates eight stores under this banner, in Bucharest's subway stations, as well as in Timisoara and Sibiu airports. 
Hub Convenience has an average sales area of 15-25 square meters, which the retailer currently implements in subway stations in the Capital, but also in other sales channels, such as airports. The first store was opened in September 2015 in Bucharest, and this year the chain was expanded with six units, the most recent opening being the Hub Convenience store in the Piata Muncii subway station.
"We developed this concept based on Lagardère's know-how in Travel Retail accumulated in over 165 years of business in this field. Globally, we are present with this banner in nine countries. With the introduction of Hub Convenience in Romania, we want to offer travelers using the Bucharest metro, a shopping experience different from ordinary commerce", said Petruta Ionita, Head of Marketing and Store Planning Lagardère Travel Retail.
A division of Lagardère international group, Lagardère Travel Retail is one of the three major players in worldwide Travel Retail, with over 4,100 stores for three business lines: Duty-free & Luxury, Travel Essentials and Foodservice.
In Romania, the company has been present for more than 20 years on the Travel Retail market and operates a chain of more than 230 stores for the News & Convenience, Gifts & Souvenirs and Foodservice segments with several brands, the most popular being Inmedio, Relay, 1 Minute and So! Coffee. In 2016 the company reported on the local market a turnover of over 100 million euros, up by 20% over the previous year.
