The recent World Economic Summit in Davos, Switzerland, saw Spanish Minister of Economy and Competitiveness Luis de Guindos make the optimistic prediction that Spain’s economic crisis “will end this summer and there will be growth from the second quarter.”The announcement coincides with Spanish discount retailer Grupo DIA (Distribuidora Internacional de Alimentación/International Food Distributor) entering the Top 100 of Global Retailers 2013, ranked No. 75 by Deloitte financial consulting, up from No. 131 in its previous study.
Asked about its successful formula for fresh fish and seafood under its DIA Fresh brand, and how they satisfy demand among today's value shoppers, the company explained: “We’ve marketed fresh fish and seafood since 2007 and we currently have more than 200 stores in Spain selling fresh fish, sold in-tray. As the implementation process is not as rapid as we’d like, this is an area for ongoing development due to customer needs, as Spain is one of the highest fish-consuming countries.”
Adding to the group’s DIA Market convenience store and DIA Maxi cash and carry outlets, they’re keen to emphasize “we’ve recently reinforced our efforts to source fresh, perishable products and this year launched the new DIA Fresh store format with these products in the limelight.”
Fresh stores are located in urban centers covering an average 150 square meters, focused on fresh fish, meat, fruit and bakery under “a renewed, more current and fresh image in line with the Mediterranean diet.”
DIA’s packaged, unprepared seafood range includes Pacific clams, Patagonian squid, mussel meat and lobster rice. Its frozen lines include 400 and 500 kilogram packs of battered squid rings, breaded prawn tails, hake pies, flour-dusted cuttlefish and breaded tiger mussels.
French retailer Carrefour sold-off DIA in July 2011, divesting 679 million DIA shares as part of its domestic restructuring strategy.
Deloitte claim Grupo DIA, the “hard discount chain,” is one of the two highest-ranking newcomers who’ve achieved their positions precisely because they “were separated from their former parent in 2011.”
Outside Spain, DIA operates in Argentina, Brazil, China, France, Portugal and Turkey. Gross sales reached EUR 11.124 million from its 6,833 global outlets in 2011. The company is listed on the Ibex 35 benchmark share index on the Madrid Stock Exchange.
On 23 January, DIA was incorporated as a new member of the Spanish Association of Distributors, Self-service & Supermarkets with the aim of “moving toward a more unified [retail] industry.”
