Żabka (convenience store)

Last updated • 3 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Żabka
Company type Sp. z o.o.
Industry Retail
Founded1998;26 years ago (1998)
Founders Mariusz Świtalski
Headquarters,
Poland
Number of locations
10,014 (2023)
Area served
Poland, Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia
Key people
Tomasz Suchański (President and CEO)
Revenue  19.806 billion [1]  (2023)
 1.383 billion [1]  (2023)
 360.164 million [1]  (2023)
Total assets  15.574 billion [1]  (2023)
Total equity  908.741 million [1]  (2023)
Number of employees
2,947 (2023; corporate office only) [1]
Parent CVC Capital Partners
Website www.zabka.pl
A Zabka store in Warsaw with the old logotype, February 2015. Sklep sieci Zabka w Warszawie 01.jpg
A Żabka store in Warsaw with the old logotype, February 2015.
A Zabka store in Tomaszow Mazowiecki with the current logotype, December 2019. Zabka store in Tomaszow Mazowiecki, Legionow Street. Poland.jpg
A Żabka store in Tomaszów Mazowiecki with the current logotype, December 2019.

Żabka Polska, better known as Żabka (Polish pronunciation: [ˈʐapka] ; lit. "little frog"), is a Polish chain of convenience stores with approximately 10,500 locations across Poland, operated by around 9,000 franchisees. [2] The company serves over three million customers daily [3] and generated approximately €4.6 billion in revenue in 2023. [1]

Contents

Żabka stores feature a Żabka Cafe area where customers can enjoy fast food, hot snacks and freshly brewed coffee. [4] The company also offers several products under its own brands, such as Szamamm ready-to-eat meals, Tomcio Paluch sandwiches, Wycisk fresh juices and lemonades, and Foodini healthy liquid snacks. [5] Additionally, the stores provide various services, including lottery tickets, credit and debit card cash deposits and withdrawals, gift and prepaid card purchases, utility bill payments, and parcel delivery and collection. [6]

The company has been expanding into new formats, including unmanned Żabka Nano stores and drive-through Żabka Drive stores. [7] Since 2024, the Żabka Group has been expanding into the Romanian market under the Froo brand, aiming to operate 200 stores and generate €175 million in revenues by the end of the year. [8]

History

A Zabka Czechia store in Prague, Czech Republic Praha Chodov The Park Zabka.jpg
A Žabka Czechia store in Prague, Czech Republic

Żabka was founded by entrepreneur Mariusz Świtalski in 1998 and in the same year opened its first seven stores in Poznań and Swarzędz. By October 2005, Żabka had 1,700 stores throughout Poland. In 2007, Żabka was acquired by Penta Investments. [9]

In December 2010, Penta sold the Czech operations of Żabka (localized as Žabka) and its Koruna subsidiary to UK retail giant Tesco plc. [10] [11] The deal was closed in April 2011. In February 2011, Penta signed an agreement to sell the remaining Polish operations Żabka Polska, including the Freshmarket store format, to Mid Europa Partners. [10]

In 2016, Żabka underwent a rebranding. In February 2017, Mid Europa Partners closed a deal to sell Żabka for an undisclosed value (but estimated by analysts between €1 billion and €1.5 billion [12] ) to the Luxembourg-based CVC Capital Partners. [13]

Since 2018, after the long-expected Sunday trading ban in Poland was introduced, [14] [15] [16] [17] Żabka Polska has increased its focus on self-checkouts and automated, unmanned stores, the latter using the Microsoft Azure cloud computing platform. [18]

In 2021, Polish track and field athlete Maria Andrejczyk auctioned off the silver medal she had won at the Tokyo Olympics a few weeks earlier, to raise funds for the treatment of an eight-month-old baby; Żabka won the auction and returned the medal to the athlete. [19]

In late-2022, Jarosław Kaczyński suggested that the Polish Law and Justice government might buy Żabka from CVC Capital Partners. [20] [21]

In December 2023, it was announced that Żabka would open its first stores in Romania. [22]

In March 2024, it had been announced that Żabka will offer mobile phone repair services.[ citation needed ]

As of November 2024, Żabka is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange under ticker ZAB.

Formats

Zabka Nano in Katowice Zabka Nano, Katowice.jpg
Żabka Nano in Katowice

In addition to its regular manned stores, Żabka also has smaller, unmanned stores called Żabka Nano (formerly Żappka, [23] also the name of Żabka's mobile app, introduced in 2020). Żabka Nano stores are open 24 hours a day and operate without staff or checkout areas. Customers tap their payment card at the entrance to open the door to the store, take products from the shelves, and leave. Video cameras and AI are used to identify the goods taken and charge the customer. [24]

The first Żabka Nano store was opened at the grounds of the Poznań International Fair in June 2021. Notable Żabka Nano stores include one located inside Poland's largest Decathlon store in Piaseczno, opened in December 2021, [25] and a pilot store located at the Tesla Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg in Germany, which operated during the third quarter of 2022. [26]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Convenience store</span> Small store that stocks a range of everyday items

A convenience store, convenience shop, bodega, corner store, corner shop, or superette is a small retail store that stocks a range of everyday items such as convenience food, groceries, beverages, tobacco products, lottery tickets, over-the-counter drugs, toiletries, newspapers and magazines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Best Buy</span> American multinational consumer electronics retailer

Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American multinational consumer electronics retailer headquartered in Richfield, Minnesota. Originally founded by Richard M. Schulze and James Wheeler in 1966 as an audio specialty store called Sound of Music, it was rebranded under its current name with an emphasis on consumer electronics in 1983.

PGE Energetyka Kolejowa S.A., until 2023 PKP Energetyka S.A. is the cross-country electricity distributor to the Polish railway network and other business customers. It also provides nationwide maintenance and emergency response services to the railway network, operates fuel stations for diesel locomotives and is active in electricity and gas reselling. It owns 20,000 km of distribution network and operates a fleet of highly specialised trains and rail equipment across Poland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Petco</span> American pet supply store chain

Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc. is an American pet retailer with corporate offices in San Diego and San Antonio. Petco sells pet food, products, and services, as well as certain types of live small animals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CVC Capital Partners</span> British private equity and investment advisory firm

CVC Capital Partners plc is a Jersey-based private equity and investment advisory firm with approximately €186 billion of assets under management and approximately €157 billion in secured commitments since inception across American, European, and Asian private equity, secondaries, credit funds and infrastructure. As of 31 December 2021, the funds managed or advised by CVC are invested in more than 100 companies worldwide, employing over 450,000 people in numerous countries. CVC was founded in 1981 and, as of 31 March 2022, has over 850 employees working across its network of 25 offices throughout EMEA, Asia and the Americas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kaufland</span> German multinational hypermarket chain owned by Schwarz Group

Kaufland is a German hypermarket chain, part of the Schwarz Gruppe which also owns Lidl. The hypermarket directly translates to English as "buy-land." It opened its first store in 1984 in Neckarsulm and quickly expanded to become a major chain in what was formerly West Germany. It operates over 1,500 stores in Germany, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova.

Douglas Holding was a German retail group based in Düsseldorf which included subsidiaries perfumery chain Douglas GmbH, confectionery chain Hussel, bookstore chain Thalia Buchhandel and women's fashion store chain AppelrathCüpper. After the takeover by financial investor Advent International, Douglas Holding was delisted in 2013 and the conglomerate was gradually split into its individual companies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biedronka</span> Polish supermarket chain

Biedronka is a chain of supermarkets. It is the largest chain of discount shops in Poland with 3,283 stores as of 2022 and 70,000 employees (2022). It is owned by the Portuguese group Jerónimo Martins. The name "Biedronka" means "ladybird", and a cartoon ladybird is the company's logo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna</span>

PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna S.A. is a state-owned public power company and the largest power producing company in Poland. PGE is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the WIG30 index.

Penta is a Central Europe investment group founded in 1994 in Slovakia by Czech Marek Dospiva and Slovaks Jaroslav Haščák, Juraj Herko, Martin Kúšik and Jozef Oravkin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maria Andrejczyk</span> Polish javelin thrower (born 1996)

Maria Magdalena Andrejczyk is a Polish track and field athlete who competes in the javelin throw. She is the 2020 Summer Olympics silver medalist and 2015 European Junior Champion. Her personal best of 71.40 m, set in 2021, is the Polish record as well as the third best result in the history of the women's javelin throw competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reserved</span> Clothing retailer based in Gdańsk

Reserved is a Polish apparel retailer headquartered in Gdańsk, Pomerania, Poland. It was founded in 1999 and remains the largest company of the LPP group, which has more than 1,700 retail stores located in over 20 countries and also owns such brands as Cropp, House, Mohito, and Sinsay. There are more than 460 Reserved retail stores around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freshmarket</span> Polish convenience store chain

Freshmarket was a retail chain operated by Żabka Polska in Poland. There were 16 stores across Poland. The retail turnover was about EUR 330 million in 2014. The shops changed to Żabka by the end of 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dino Polska</span>

Dino Polska S.A. is a Polish retail company that operates grocery stores throughout Poland. The retail chain was founded in 1999 by Tomasz Biernacki. Dino supermarkets are generally located in medium and small-sized towns as well as on the peripheries of larger cities. The retailer started out in western Poland, but has since expanded across the entire country. In 2022, the Subcarpathian Voivodeship became the last of Poland's voivodeships to open a Dino store. Dino is now present in every voivodeship.

After the end of World War II, the Communist government in Poland instituted large scale nationalizations in Poland starting in 1944.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4F (company)</span> Polish sportswear company

4F is a Polish clothing company established in 2003 and headquartered in Wieliczka, in southern Poland. The company is owned by OTCF S.A. whose other subsidiaries include brands like Outhorn and 4Faces. It offers sports, tourism and casual wear clothing as well as accessories. The brand currently operates 230 stores in East-Central Europe and its products are present in around 500 multi-brand stores in 40 countries.

Svetofor is a chain of discount supermarkets headquartered in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. The chain, owned by Torgservis, operates stores in Russia, Kazakhstan, Serbia, Belarus and China. As of December 2019 its network comprised approximately 1,400 locations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cashierless store</span> Store that does not contain a checkout

A cashierless store is a store which allows customers to shop their products and leave without having to wait in line and pay at a checkout. Cashierless stores can currently be found in the United States, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pepco (retailer)</span> European variety and discount store chain

Pepco is a Polish variety store chain with stores across Europe. It is part of the London headquartered and Polish listed 'Pepco Group' alongside sister brands Poundland and Dealz. Pepco stores account for most of the group's stores with 3500 branches across Europe, and has replaced Dealz completely in most European countries, except for Poland and Ireland.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Skonsolidowane sprawozdanie finansowe za rok zakończony 31 grudnia 2023 roku [Consolidated financial statement for the year ended 31 December 2023](pdf) (Report) (in Polish). Żabka (published 2024-07-11). 2024-03-15. eKRS document ID: 8652621.
  2. "O Żabce" [About Żabka] (in Polish). Żabka. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
  3. Sawyer, Anna (2023-12-12). "Żabka's Culture of Convenience Makes Customers' Lives Easier". Gallup. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
  4. "Żabka Cafe" (in Polish). Żabka. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
  5. "Marki własne" [Own brands] (in Polish). Żabka. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
  6. "Wygodne usługi w Żabce" [Convenient services at Żabka] (in Polish). Żabka. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
  7. "Żabka Non Stop i Żabka Drive – nowe formaty sklepów, które ułatwią zakupy" [Żabka Non Stop and Żabka Drive – new store formats to make shopping easier] (in Polish). Żabka. 2023-11-02. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
  8. Pekic, Branislav (2024-06-07). "Poland's Żabka Opens Pilot Store In Romania". European Supermarket Magazine (ESM). Retrieved 2024-10-07.
  9. "Zabka sold to Penta Investments - Retail market in CEE & CIS - PMR". www.ceeretail.com (in Polish). 14 July 2017. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  10. 1 2 Martewicz, Maciej (February 25, 2011). "Mid Europa Buys Poland's Zabka Store Chain as Retail Market Consolidates". Bloomberg Business. Retrieved October 8, 2012.
  11. "Tesco to buy Polish Zabka chain -newspaper". Reuters. February 23, 2011. Retrieved October 8, 2012.
  12. "bne IntelliNews - CVC Capital Partners agrees to buy Zabka Polska". www.intellinews.com. 21 February 2017. Retrieved 2017-04-12.
  13. "CVC Capital Partners - Media Centre". www.cvc.com. Retrieved 2017-04-12.
  14. Gera, Vanessa (11 March 2018). "Most Stores Shut in Poland as Sunday Trade Ban Takes Effect". US News. Associated Press.
  15. "Stores shut across Poland as Sunday shopping ban takes effect". Global News.
  16. "Sunday trading ban comes into effect in Poland". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 11 March 2018 via rte.ie.
  17. "Stores closed as Poland phases out Sunday shopping". Polskie Radio dla Zagranicy.
  18. "Żabka - largest operator of autonomous stores in Europe - aims to overtake Amazon as world's biggest". 23 January 2023.
  19. Olympian Maria Andrejczyk auctions off medal to help pay for infant's heart surgery cbsnews.com
  20. "Poland close to buying PKP Energetyka from CVC Capital Partners -ruling party leader". Reuters. 12 October 2022.
  21. "Poland Eyes Grocery Chain as It Takes Back Control of Economy". Bloomberg. 13 October 2022.
  22. "Retailerul polonez Zabka intră în România, prin preluarea unui pachet majoritar în cadrul distribitorului DRIM Daniel Distributie FMCG". Economica.net (in Romanian). 2023-12-21. Retrieved 2024-03-09.
  23. "Żabka Launches Cashierless Store Format, Żappka". 16 June 2021.
  24. "How Poland, Australia and India's biggest retailers are investing for growth". Retail Week. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
  25. "Żabka Nano otwarta w Decathlonie".
  26. "Tajna Żabka u Elona Muska. Pierwszy sklep tej sieci poza Polską". 11 August 2022.

Further reading