Alina Oprea • 20 June, 2023 at 10:00 AM
Last year, Kaufland Romania was involved in the development and implementation of social responsibility projects worth €9 million, including two financing programs through which Kaufland offers non-refundable grants to non-governmental organizations. The company states that it is among the biggest supporters of NGOs that fight for causes such as health, environmental protection, education, healthy living, and sports or culture. With anti-plastic and anti-waste initiatives, pioneering in-store packaging recycling infrastructure, regenerative agriculture, and numerous projects for a cleaner environment, the company is among the biggest investors in sustainability. Thus, in 2022, for the fifth consecutive year, Kaufland Romania ranked first in the list of the most sustainable companies at the national level, a title awarded by the CST Index.
In principle, at all store openings, the company tries to implement photovoltaic panels, including in the central warehouses.
Moreover, the company plans to open a warehouse next year, in Moldova.
Also, in the financial year 2022, Kaufland had a total contribution of €2.38 billion (Gross Added Value) to the local economy, which represents approximately 1% of Romania's GDP.
Last year, Kaufland invested €315 million in Romania, in terms of CAPEX, more precisely, for the purchase or modernization of fixed assets, and had a contribution to the state budget of over €214 million, through taxes and duties.
Kaufland is preparing investments of around €300 million in Romania this year and wants to open ten stores, said Valer Hancaş, the communication director of Kaufland Romania and the Republic of Moldova.
"€300 million is the value of the investments and we are opening ten stores. The investments do not only consider these ten stores, but there are also operational costs, there are also costs of renovating the stores that are some years behind, here it is, but 18 years have also passed since the opening of the first store", says Valer Hancaş, the director of communication of Kaufland Romania and the Republic of Moldova.
The company will employ around 1,000 people in the stores opened this year.
"We have 13,942 whole norms. In total, there are about 17,000 people who work for Kaufland Romania. Some are part-time, and they work four hours, that's why if we convert to whole norms, it comes out to 13,942. Theoretic, for ten stores probably and the rest of the needs, we are going to 1,000 jobs," he added.
Kaufland is one of the largest private employers in Romania, with over 16,500 employees.
"The salary scale and the benefits package are constantly being improved, in 2022, the minimum net salary at Kaufland will exceed the national minimum net salary by almost 60%," the company announces.
Through its activity, the company generates about 91,000 full-time jobs in Romania, directly, indirectly, and induced, equivalent to about 1.7% of the national workforce.
Each Kaufland direct employee in Romania supports the employment of more than 5 people in the entire Romanian economy, by creating new jobs, according to the socio-economic impact study of the company for the financial year 2022, prepared by KPMG.
Kaufland states that it supports partnerships with local producers.
"Thus, in 2022, the company collaborated with over 2,600 suppliers in Romania. Kaufland runs support programs for them, and last year, over 80% of total spending with suppliers was allocated to local partners, exceeding the value of €2.4 billion. At the same time, 67 cents from every euro spent at Kaufland cash registers go directly to businesses in Romania," the company says.