Taiwan FamilyMart Co (全家便利商店), one of the nation’s largest convenience store operators, said yesterday it had decided to continue to expand, using no less than NT$1.5 billion (US$49.3 million) in capital expenditure for next year.
This year, FamilyMart assigned about NT$1.5 billion in capital expenditure to boost its total number of outlets by about 300 to 2,800 by the end of the year.
FamilyMart chairman Pan Chin-ting (潘進丁) said the local economy had been affected by the escalating debt crisis in Europe.
However, Pan added that his company was not deterred at all by the current sluggishness in economic fundamentals and was determined to continue to expand next year.
Pan said he believed convenience store sales would continue to grow, because the business has become a pillar of the local retail sector with consumption remaining consistent.
He added that future investment would focus on establishing a logistics center that is scheduled for inauguration in the first half of next year, while the company would continue to add new outlets all over the nation.
According to FamilyMart, the company will open more large stores, each with an area of between 30 ping (99m2) and 35 ping, to provide venues in which people can socialize, and the outlets will provide more fresh food.
Currently, the convenience store chain operates more than 500 of the larger outlets across the country.
The company is finalizing its expansion plan for next year and deciding how many new stores will be added, it said.
Meanwhile, Pan said the FamilyMart chain in Taiwan would transform itself into a health food supplier and put more emphasis on environmental protection.
Pan said his company would continue to promote roasted sweet potato, which has become popular among local consumers and is expected to generate NT$200 million in sales for FamilyMart this year.
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