Partnership OMV Petrom and Auchan Retail România

OMV Petrom, the largest energy company in Southeastern Europe, and Auchan Retail România, the subsidiary in Romania of Auchan Retail, one of the largest global groups in food retail, announce the agreement to extend their partnership for opening MyAuchan proximity stores in Petrom filling stations. The partnership brings together two of the brands renowned on the Romanian market for the advantageous quality-price ratio.

The existing shop area in the filling station will be refurbished and will offer customers the option for MyAuchan proximity shopping. The refurbishment of the shops is planned to be performed during the next years.

Depending on the area of the station, up to 2,500 products of a wide variety will be available on-shelf: from food products, including fresh produce, fruit and vegetables, to non-food products such as cosmetics, detergents, baby products and car accessories, at MyAuchan prices that are clearly advantageous within the retail activities specific to filling stations.

Petrom filling stations will enter a far-reaching modernization process which will include, besides the setting up of MyAuchan stores, the replacement of brand identity elements, as well as works in the outdoor area of the pumps and related services (car wash, LPG fueling).

In addition, there will be five pilot filling stations where fast lanes will be set up – fueling pumps that allow direct payment, by card or mobile phone.

Radu Căprău, member of OMV Petrom Executive Board, responsible for Downstream Oil: “Extending the partnership with Auchan Retail România to the entire Petrom filling stations network is an important step, but also a milestone in our strategy to improve our customers’ experience. With only one stop, our customers will be able to shop for their groceries while fueling their cars, thus saving time. This is a unique and innovative approach on the Romanian market and meets the expectations of the modern consumers and of the young generation, whose daily schedules are dynamic and alert. We continue in this way the successful story and we consolidate our position for the best quality-price ratio in the Romanian fuel retail”. 

Ionuț Ardeleanu, general manager Auchan Retail România: “We are glad that, together with our partner OMV Petrom, we reached the point when we start living a great dream, a real business challenge, but also an innovation for the retail market: to be the first ones to bring in Romania the know-how, variety and prices of a specialist in food retail in the filling stations of the largest fuel retailer in Romania. After the tests made in the last three years since the start of the pilot-project, we managed to set up a MyAuchan store model to meet in the best way the needs of motorized customers, but also of those living in the vicinity because our concept is that of a proximity store, with food and non-food products and a unique shopping experience. We will re-design the shops of Petrom filling stations over several years in order to provide our customers with a shopping experience under MyAuchan brand, and, gradually, we will add more digital trade services, in addition to the ones already offered by Petrom.“

The cooperation between OMV Petrom and Auchan Retail România, a new concept for the Romanian market, started in 2017 with a pilot phase when MyAuchan proximity stores were opened in Petrom filling stations, in both urban and rural areas in Romania. During this phase, the purpose was to test the business model and to assess the potential of this collaboration.

In February 2019, OMV Petrom and Auchan Retail România signed a Memorandum of Understanding in order to analyze the extension of the collaboration into a long-term partnership. The Memorandum was approved by the Competition Council in July last year. 

At the end of 2019, OMV Petrom and Auchan Retail România had 17 MyAuchan proximity stores opened in Petrom filling stations.