Atacarejo group from SC will be built close to Stok Center and Havan in Porto Alegre

The column Retail Minute learned that the Via Atacadista store, belonging to the Passarela group, headquartered in Concórdia, will be built on Avenida Assis Brasil, 8620, close to Fiergs and Senai-RS, and a few blocks from the Stok Center, the largest wholesale store in the state and belonging to Comercial Zaffari, from Passo Fundo. Stok shares the same area with Loja Havan, owned by businessman Luciano Hang.

According to the registration of the project that began to be processed by the city of Porto Alegre last week, the land with 20 thousand square meters or two hectares is almost in front of the roundabout that gives access to the complex of the Federation of Industries of RS. The future store will be in the Metropolitan Region towards the Capital. At the end of January, the chain opened a megastore in Santa Cruz do Sul, the fourth in the state.

This Monday (6), the processing of the first stage of the Urban Feasibility Study (EVU) was formalized at the Licensing Office, linked to the Municipal Secretariat for the Environment, Urban Planning and Sustainability (Smamus).

The group from Santa Catarina does not yet detail the size of the store, both in square meters of sales area and total built, parking spaces.

In the course of the project, these data must be passed on for environmental licensing and other releases for construction. Issues such as the effect on traffic, logistical handling and risks are analyzed, which may generate compensation depending on the impact on the region.

With the choice of the North zone, the region becomes the great pole of wholesale or wholesale, which were more common in the past and aimed at small traders, restaurants and snack bars, the latter two called transformers by the supermarket chain, for buying items which will be used in the preparation of meals and snacks, which are sold to final consumers.

Pandemic and boost to wholesale

In the 2010s and much longer in the post-pandemic period, cash and carry was established in the country, surpassing and putting even the hypermarket in check. In Rio Grande do Sul, the impetus for the model was given in recent years due to the mix of items (greater volume) and more attractive prices, generally lower than other supermarket sizes and profiles, which hooked final consumers with higher incomes. compressed (effect of inflation and crisis in the midst of Covid-19) or even those with higher income.

The focus on the format also made Comercial take second place in the ranking of the Associação Gaúcha de Supermercados (Agas) in 2022, based on data from 2021. The Unidasul group, owner of the wholesale Macromix, fell to third place.

Santa Cruz do Sul gained the fourth cash and carry flag store in the state, which opened at the end of January. Photo: Catwalk/Disclosure

In the north of the capital, the Atacadão flagships of the Carrefour group are already established, which will have another unit with the transformation of Maxxi Atacado (former BIG group) in the Humaitá neighborhood in Atacadão.

“The group’s expansion plan continues and is very well outlined”, said Passarela’s commercial director, Marcio Luiz Simioni, when speaking to the column last year. The chain is also building two stores in the neighboring state, in Capinzal and Concordia.

Brand will grow in the format that attracts more consumers, like the Santa Cruz store, and focuses on low prices. Photo: Catwalk/Disclosure

In 2021, the first two flagship stores had also been opened in Serra Gaúcha, in Farroupilha and Bento Gonçalves.

Passarela was created in 1986, starting as a snack bar. In 1990, the first supermarket opened. The Via banner was created in 2013 and now has nine units, with the Santa Cruz do Sul store, between the two states.

In Santa Cataria, it is also in Caçador, Videira, Canoinhas, Curitibanos and Chapecó. In the state, the group also has a supermarket in Erechim.