French retailer Auchan has announced plans to develop AuchanAuto stores, a new retail format similar to the Auchan Drive system in France, Russian business daily Kommersant reported.
Clients will pre-order groceries via the Internet and pick up their purchases in the store without leaving their car. Auchan’s goal is to give out purchase in less than five minutes. AuchanAuto stores will offer up to 10,000 products.
The company is currently looking for a 2,000-square-meter building site for its first AuchanAuto store in Russia, possibly in northwest Moscow, the newspaper said. The first store could open next year.
The first Auchan Drive opened in France in 2006.
Based in France, the Auchan group manages 574 hypermarkets in 12 countries and 747 supermarkets in five countries. Another 1,600 Auchan stores operate in Europe under franchise or other forms of agreements with Auchan.
In Russia, the French company owns a chain of megastores under the Auchan brand as well as Auchan City megastores, Atac supermarkets, Raduga discount stores, Decathlon sporting goods stores, and Leroy Merlin home appliance and do-it-yourself superstores. According Kommersant, Auchan’s revenues in Russia – a priority market for the French retail group – amounted to €5.87 million in 2010. The Russian market accounted for 13.8% of the group’s overall revenue.
