Colruyt Group continues its investments in Wallonia
Halle, Belgium, 2015-10-15 — /EPR Retail News/ — After the inauguration last June of the new Ath-Lessines distribution centre, Colruyt Group is continuing to invest in Wallonia, this time by opening a shopping centre in Jambes, on the former ‘Atelier’ industrial site. Located at the entrance to the town and as a multi-purpose project, it offers some 9,500 m2 of buildings and an underground car park with 313 spaces. The complex houses 4 complementing brands as well as the Colruyt Group Academy’s local branch. The purpose of this project is to simplify the lives of those living in Namur.
Increasing its presence in Wallonia
The opening of such a site originated from Colruyt’s Group’s desire to establish a greater presence in Wallonia. In line with the ambition of expanding the Colruyt store at Rue Commandant Tilot and setting up a Dreambaby and Bio-Planet store in the region, an opportunity arose for grouping together 4 complementing brands on the same site, as well as setting up the Colruyt Group Academy’s local branch. A large-scale project, also leading to the creation of 25 jobs. At this time, some 1,300 of the group’s employees live in the Namur region. On a whole, this is the second large-scale project that has seen the day this year in Wallonia. Going back a few months, the group inaugurated its Ath/Lessines distribution centre in the Hainaut district, thus creating some 350 new jobs.
A town gateway project
Colruyt Group has joined together with the Besix real estate group and its Cobelba division to defend the project for transforming the former industrial site known as “l’Atelier” into a town gateway project. With support from the local authorities, an S.A.R. (area for redevelopment) procedure was approved in 2012, authorising the allocation of the site to a multi-purpose project combining housing, shops and services. The shopping centre is located along the Pont des Grands Malades, forming a noise screen protecting the rest of the site. The housing is built on the banks of the Meuse.
Eco-friendly
Always looking to maintain an environmentally-friendly approach, Colruyt Group is also taking initiatives in terms of renewable energy and sustainability. The Jambes site is very well insulated (factor K21, compared to factor K45 imposed by law) and is equipped with eco-friendly components such as solar panels or a rainwater collection system to feed the future ornamental ponds located nearby. Reminder: it was also in the Namur region, and more precisely at Wépion, that the first Colruyt low-energy (K12) store was born in 2012. WE-Power, Colruyt Group’s sustainable energy provider and producer, also owns a wind farm at Spy, bordering the E42.
Simplifying the lives of those living in Namur
The brand new building is home to four complementing brands:
Colruyt: for shopping at the best prices, the Colruyt store formerly located at Rue Commandant Tilot, has moved to the Atelier site. With its larger surface area (2,500 m²), it offers in-store facilities classed as 4thgeneration facilities, including the self-service butchers.
Collect & Go: for our customers with little time to spare, the site will also benefit from a Collect&Go pick-up point providing Colruyt Group’s online shopping service.
Dreamland: the Erpent store is also moving to the Atelier site. The toy specialist boasts the widest selection of toys in the region.
Dreambaby: the baby specialist is opening its 5th store in Wallonia. Items carefully selected for parents, parents-to-be and babies, expert advice and a unique gift registry service.
As well as:
The Colruyt Group Academy: the site will house the new Namur branch of the Colruyt Group Academy, which offers a selection of workshops and training programmes targeting individuals and based on 6 topics: Cooking and tasting, Well-being and relaxation, Home and garden, Social issues, Babies and Kids & Co… Its aim? To offer practical advice applicable to everyday life and provide inspiration in a relaxed atmosphere.
Coming soon…
Bio-Planet: next spring, a Bio-Planet store, specialised in the sale of organic and ecological products, will set up shop in the building of the former Colruyt store in Jambes at Rue Commandant Tilot.
www.colruyt.be
www.dreamland.be
www.collectandgo.be
www.dreambaby.be
www.bioplanet.be
www.colruytgroupacademy.be
For more information:
Jan Derom, Colruyt Group press officer. Tel.: +32 (0)2 363 55 45 or +32 (0)4 73 92 45 10.
E-mail: jan.derom@colruytgroup.com
About Colruyt Group
Colruyt Group operates in the food and non-food distribution sector in Belgium, France and Luxembourg with approximately 500 own stores and over 500 affiliated stores. In Belgium this includes Colruyt, OKay, Bio-Planet, Dreamland, Dreambaby and the affiliated stores Spar and Spar Compact. In France, in addition to the affiliated Coccinelle, CocciMarket and Panier Sympa stores, there are also approximately 70 Colruyt stores. The group is also actively involved in the food service industry (supplying food products to hospitals, company canteens and catering firms) in France (Pro à Pro) and Belgium (Solucious). Other activities include fuel distribution (DATS 24), digital printing and document management solutions (Symeta) and the production of green energy. Colruyt Group employs over 28,000 people and recorded a turnover of over EUR 8.9 billion in 2014/15. Colruyt is listed on NYSE Euronext Brussels (COLR) under ISIN code BE0974256852.
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