German grocery and general merchandise chain Kaufland has confirmed it has received approval for two more stores with plans for a further nine outlets in Victoria.

 

The retail raider is to open stores at Oakleigh South in Melbourne’s south-east and at Coolaroo in the north in addition to earlier announced stores at Chirnside, Dandenong and Epping.

 

Construction of the Dandenong store has already commenced.

 

A subsidiary of the Schwarz Group, the world's fourth largest retailer, Kaufland and sister chain Lidl have 1300 stores in Europe, employing more than 150,000 people.

 

Based in Melbourne with state offices in Brisbane, Sydney and Adelaide, Kaufland Australia is on the look-out for more sites from 17,000 square metres to 30,000sm, with parking for approximately 400 cars.

 

Last year Kaufland outlaid $25 million for a 36,000 square metre site formerly occupied by a Le Cornu furniture store in Adelaide's Forestville and $16.4 million for a former Bunnings site in Melbourne's Dandenong.

 

Kaufland's stores are typically 20,000 square metres, five times the size of the average Coles or Woolworths supermarket, and carry about 60,000 branded and private label products, more than double the range in Coles and Woolworths, mainly fresh food and packaged groceries but also clothing and footwear, electronics, homewares, sporting goods, stationery, garden products and hardware.

 

Australia will be its first non-European market entry and there are reports that the store format and offer may be altered for this market.

 

Kaufland is believed to need at least 15 to 20 stores to make its Australian investment viable.

 

Suppliers wishing to contact Kaufland are directed to email [email protected]