Loyal associates and strategic approach to business are the key to success of Delhaize Serbia.
Delhaize Serbia is a part to an international retail chain Ahold Delhaize, which has a support office in Zandaam and operates in eleven countries on three continents. Also, Ahold Delhaize is one of the biggest global retail companies, the leader in the supermarket and online commerce segments, and the leader in the sustainable development segment. The companywas founded 150 years ago, and today it has over 375,000 associates andmore than 50 million customers weekly. Since its arrival to Serbia in 2011,Delhaize Serbia has been intensely working on widening its product range, and continuously improving its quality, ingredients and design. Company operates through retail chains Maxi, Tempo and Shop&- Go, and its network includes 405 stores. The company has approximately 12,000 associates.
How do you arrive at a decision in the company, and how important are for these decisions to reflect your strategy?
The strategy of the company has been clearly defined and it is based on a strategic framework which encompasses the most important areas of our operation. We want its implementation to have a strong influence on both our 12,000 colleagues and our customers and partners. We approach decisions in a planned manner and we invest in all aspects of business. Through different initiatives from the area of corporate social responsibility, we contribute to the local community in which we work and live in. We offer our customers a wide assortment of quality and accessible products. We achieve all this owing to our dedicated workers who are our most valuable resource and for whom Delhaize Serbia is a better place to work at. Values are also an important part of the strategy of our company. The ones we nurture are courage, integrity, teamwork, humour, and care, and we want our partners and the community to be able to recognize by those values. We live our mission every day; together we bring fresh inspiration for the better life of all of us.
To what extent is Ahold Delhaize’s global strategy adapted to local shoppers?
Our company became a member of the international retail chain in July last year. The merger of two big companies is always a stimulating and important thing for local markets, because you have the opportunity to exchange and use the experiences of the best. Ahold-Delhaize’s Better Together strategy is adapted to national markets, with a focus on retaining local identity. We have adopted high standards of sustainable business and we strive to bring this field to the highest level in Serbia using different innovations.
What are your development plans for the next period, and are you planning regional expansion?
Company is a market leader and every day we try to respond to the customers’ needs in the best manner through innovative assortment, accessible prices and top-of-the-line service. We are focused on expanding within our country, and on opening small neighbourhood stores in Serbia. In this market, there are opportunities for natural growth which we strive for, and the plan for the following period is to dedicate ourselves to the needs of domestic customers.