TIRANA TIMES
TIRANA, June 28 – A new study by US-based management consulting firm A.T. Kearney has described Albania as a small market with a positive outlook.
“Albania debuts in the Global Retail Development Index (GRDI) in the 12th place driven mainly by its unsaturated market. Albania is still relatively poor with a per capita GDP of about 3,370 dollars; by 2014 real GDP is expected to grow by 30 percent which make it a country to watch in the longer term,” said the report.
So far, the fragmented food retail market is shaped by mostly small independent shops and open markets of self-grown products. The top three grocery retailers together operate fewer than 30 stores,” added the report.
The report also mentions the expansion of Slovenian chain Mercator to Albania.
Albania’s market attractiveness was rated at 30.4 percent, country risk at 30.2 percent, market saturation 82.2 percent, and time pressure at 61.7 percent with a total GRDI of 51.1 points out of a maximum of 100.
The 30-country list was headed by China with Guatemala at the bottom.
Slow growth, heavy discounting and more fickle shoppers in recession-weary developed markets mean retailers should be increasingly focused on international expansion, according to the 9th annual Global Retail Development Index study from management consulting firm A.T. Kearney.
The global recession has truly changed the landscape and has left some small but more insulated markets in a relatively better performance.
The newcomers to rankings this year include several small markets, such as Albania, Macedonia, Dominican Republic and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
