In the 2021/22 financial year (as of the end of February), the UNI Group generated total sales of 432 million euros. After an increase of 13 percent in 2020/21, this is a minus of 1.8 percent, which is attributed to the fact that more “normal” trade was open in January and February this year than in the previous year.
Unimarkt Handelsgesellschaft with sales of around EUR 320 million, UNIGroßhandel (formerly Pfeiffer wholesale) and UNILogistik (formerly Pfeiffer Logistik) operate under the umbrella of the group. The group has around 3,000 employees, and earnings before taxes (EBT) were EUR 3 million in 2021/22. After 25 million euros in the past financial year, 15 million euros are to be invested in this, which one wants to put primarily into sustainability and digitization. Among other things, new branches are equipped with photovoltaics.
“Franchise branches much better”
Owner and managing director Andreas Haider intends to focus more on franchises in the future. The franchise branches would perform significantly better than their own, he said in a press conference on Wednesday. He sees the reason in the fact that a lot of things happen in a short distance: “The entrepreneur makes an agreement with the producer or farmer. If the product works, it gets a place on the shelf”. 71 of the 132 locations are currently managed by franchise partners. The fact that the entrepreneurs are allowed to carry out listings themselves benefits the proportion of regional products, which one also wants to further promote.
Overall, the opening of at least 5 new locations is planned this year. A hybrid supermarket is planned in Gaflenz: the branch is normally staffed in the morning, and in the afternoon “you’re the cashier yourself,” says managing director Robert Knöbl. There are currently eleven autonomous UNIBoxes – nine in Upper Austria and two in Styria. The aim is to double the number of these locations by the end of 2022. They should create supply in rural regions where no real supermarket is worthwhile. So far, around 20,000 people have registered with the app required for this and can therefore use the offer.
Test with Mjam
The UNI Group is also pinning hopes on online business: Although it only generates around 1 percent of sales, it is assumed that it will continue to increase even after Corona. So far, the focus has primarily been on rural areas, but now they also want to focus more on urban areas, and a test with mjam is running for this purpose.
Unik, a 50-50 cooperation between Unimarkt and the trading company Kiennast, which supplies convenience supplies for petrol stations, bakeries etc., made a delivery turnover of 12 million euros this year and took over the food wholesaler Lekkerland in January 2022. According to Haider, the deal has already been approved by the competition authority and the deal is expected to close in June.
The UNI Group’s own trade fair – which was already planned before Corona but has been postponed again and again as a result – is new. According to the company, it is the largest trade fair for independent food retailers in Austria. The event on March 16th and 17th in Wels is expected to attract around 100 exhibitors, 400 entrepreneurs and around 1,000 visitors.
Source: Nachrichten
