Toulouse. Centrakor celebrates its 15th anniversary and is close to a billion euros
Created in 2007, the national brand, which has its headquarters in Toulouse, has 450 stores and is approaching one billion euros in turnover.
In fifteen years, Centrakor has come a long way. The former purchasing center became a brand in its own right in 2007, when it served 40 points of sale. In 2022, Centrakor employs more than 5,000 people in its 450 stores, applies mainly to the outskirts of large cities, including around sixty in Occitanie and around 360 independent stores. The management now intends its presence in the overseas territories and border countries, where the network already has five points of sale in Belgium. “The difficulty consists above all in finding the right premises, in the right place. We are constantly looking”, explains the CEO, Olivier Rondolotto.
Last year, Centrakor posted a turnover of around €975 million. After a slight decline of 2% in 2020, the group resumed more than 10% growth. He recruits regularly, as in Portet where the store is expanding. Olivier Rondolotto does not lead through quantified objectives, “especially since the news subjects us to its vagaries. Between the Covid and now Ukraine, it seems ridiculous to project ourselves in this way. In 2020, we have opened ten points new points of sale despite the confinement, thirty in 2021. We open as long as we can or we expand our stores.”
The confinements have exploded the craze for household equipment. Although the health measures have blurred all expectations, the trend remains strong: “When we are forced to close one month, we catch up on the next one”, underlines the CEO.
fear of inflation
So far, Centrakor claims to be resisting the shortage of Asian supply: “We replace products when there is a shortage to avoid empty shelves. It is transparent for the customer”. The leader considers himself relatively spared from inflation for the moment: “Our average product costs €7. If the item takes 10% inflation, it increases by less than one euro. On the other hand, as the cost of the life soaring, the purchasing power is reduced and could influence the attitude of the customers”.