ROMANIA: Mega Image gives up AB Cool Food concept | Progresiv

Belgian retailer Delhaize, present in Romania with a chain of over 460 stores under Mega Image, Shop & Go and Gusturi Romanesti banners, decided to close the store specialized in frozen products, AB Cool Food, inaugurated in 2013 in Bucharest. The space will go through a conversion process and will be transformed into a Shop & Go store, according to an announcement displayed at the location, which also says that products can be purchased in the future on the commercial platform operated in partnership with eMag, as well as from the Mega Image Concept store Baneasa.

The information was confirmed by representatives of the company as well. "We made the decision to integrate the AB Cool Food concept under the umbrella of Mega Image, in order to offer our customers a complete shopping experience. Therefore, we have not forsaken AB Food Cool, but integrated it into Mega Image stores. The space from Ion Mihalache, that was dedicated to AB Cool Food, will be transformed into a Mega Image Shop & Go because it is a place that lends itself better to such a concept. This change comes from our desire to put under one roof, Mega Image Baneasa, all our concepts: Fromagerie, Equilibrium, Wine Gallery and AB Cool Food", said Adrian Nicolaescu, VP Marketing Mega Image, to Progresiv.

With an area of about 200 square meters, AB Cool Food store was placed on the Ion Mihalache Boulevard in Bucharest, near May 1^st Square, and was the only one of its kind to operate on the local market. At its launch, the concept was intended to "change the perception of Romanian shoppers about the frozen products". The assortment counted no less than 600 products, own or exclusive brands in categories such as ready meals, frozen fruits and vegetables, pizza, ice cream or cakes. 90% of products sold in this location were not sold in any other of the chain’s stores.

AB Cool Food concept, unique for Delhaize, was developed by the Mega Image team. The inspiration for this model store was Picard, a French retailer specialized in frozen products, operating a chain of over 900 such stores.

This is not the first time Mega Image gives up a pilot project. In 2011 they dropped the Red Market banner under which they were operating a total of 11 units that were rebranded to Mega Image.

Delhaize Group currently operates a chain of 467 stores and ended the financial year with a turnover estimated at 700 million euros.