Charter, a network of franchised supermarkets operated by Spanish cooperative Consum, opened some 52 stores in 2023, a new record total for the banner.
This expansion brings Charter's total presence to 448 stores across six Spanish regions – Valencian Community, Catalonia, Castilla-La Mancha, Andalusia, Murcia, and Aragon.
The new outlets add 15,900 square meters of retail space to Charter's network, pushing its total selling area past 133,500 square meters.
Notably, Consum's franchise sales revenue grew by 25.2% last year, compared to 2022, reaching €693.6 million, and exceeding expectations by €89.6 million.
Focus Areas
Similar to previous years, Charter's 2023 expansion concentrated on Catalonia and the Valencian Community. These regions welcomed a combined 72% of the new stores, with 25 and 13 openings respectively.
The remaining stores were distributed across Castilla-La Mancha (8), Andalusia (4), and Murcia (2).
Charter is proving to be a successful business model, Consum noted, as around 79% of new franchisees in 2023 were existing store owners who opted to invest in a new Charter location.
Further Openings
Charter's franchise network expects to maintain its upward trajectory in 2024 with the planned opening of 35 additional stores. These new establishments will be primarily located in Catalonia (15), followed by the Valencian Community (10), Castilla-La Mancha (7), Andalusia (2), and Murcia (1).
Charter's sales are also projected to climb to €765.9 million this year, representing a 10.43% increase compared to 2023.
Business Model
Charter's business model is focused around providing essential grocery services to smaller towns and urban neighbourhoods with insufficient populations to support large supermarkets, prioritising collaboration with existing local businesses.
Unlike traditional franchises, Charter franchisees don't incur fees or royalties; they only pay for the merchandise they sell.
