Spanish discount supermarket chain sees Turkey one of main strategic countries

ISTANBUL (A.A) - July 20, 2011 - An executive of a Spanish discount supermarket chain said on Wednesday that they saw Turkey as one of the main strategic countries.
Dia Group's CEO Ricardo Curras said Turkey had become one of the main strategic countries for Dia discount supermarket chain thanks to cooperation with Turkey's Sabanci Group.
"I believe we will get stronger in the near future," Curras said during the inauguration of 1000th DiaSa market in Turkey.
Curras said Dia was investing some 30 million Euro in Turkey every year, and this investment would continue to increase. 
Turkey is ranked the third among countries where Dia has stores, and the second in franchise listing, Curras also said. 
The Dia chain was created in Spain in 1979, and has undertaken an ambitious plan of international expansion with standard Dia stores in Argentina, Brazil, Spain, Greece and Turkey, in Portugal with "Minipreco" stores and in France with "Ed" standard. In 2003 Dia opened stores in the People's Republic of China, where the number of openings in a year reached 300 stores.
The group had 10.5 billion Euro sales income, and 6,373 stores. Dia is planning to make 350 million Euro investment this year.
Dia has been a partner of Sabanci Group since 1999.