A second Colruyt Professionals opens its doors south of Brussels
Just over a year after a first opening on the D'Ieteren Meiser site at Schaarbeek, Colruyt continues to explore the potential of Colruyt Professionals by establishing a second store at Drogenbos, on the border with Anderlecht. The formula dedicated to professional customers will use the lessons learned from the Meiser experience. With a surface of 1,100 m², the site has an ideal infrastructure and accessibility. It will propose a refined range of products in line with the appeal of the concept to the catering sector. Colruyt Professionals wants to offer professional customers, who usually buy products in Colruyt stores, a better shopping experience. The concept will be thoroughly evaluated before rolling it out in other big cities.
Monday, September 27, 2021
The test phase continues, improved with a first assessment of the Meiser store, open since June 2020
A first positive assessment, despite the pandemic
In June 2020, in the middle of the pandemic crisis, Colruyt inaugurated its first store for professional customers. André Giglio, regional director of Colruyt Lowest Prices: "Despite an unfavourable economic context due to the COVID-19 crisis, our professional customers quickly found the way to the Meiser Colruyt Professionals. In a few months' time, we were able to find out the strong points and the opportunities. We are constantly in contact with our professional customers through our co-workers and our promoter in order to meet their needs to the best of our abilities. Our assessment is very encouraging." It stimulated us to extend the test to the South of Brussels, more precisely to Drogenbos, near Anderlecht. An ideal geographical location: it offers good potential in terms of small neighbourhood businesses and it is close to the morning market and the main roads, on the language border. The Colruyt Professionals store in Drogenbos will also relieve the Colruyt stores of Anderlecht, Uccle and Forest, and at the same time give professional as well as private customers a better shopping experience.
A range adapted to the demand
The Colruyt Professional store of Drogenbos will have the same main characteristics as its big brother at Meiser: wider aisles, higher racks and flat shopping carts designed for bulk purchases. Access to the store and the car park will be strictly reserved for people who have the Professional Plus card. The store will also be equipped with a loading dock for pallet purchases. "It will have a cold storage department like the one in Colruyt stores. This allows us to reinforce our range of fruit and vegetables that are popular in the catering sector," Vincent Kestemont, store manager, explains. The store will propose about 3,250 references intended for retailers and the catering sector. Like Colruyt, the ambition is to offer professional customers the lowest prices in the area by comparing the prices with the classic big retail players and by following the prices of wholesalers' brochures.
Colruyt Professionals, an answer to the Brussels challenge
In June 2020, Colruyt Lowest Prices opened its first store for professional customers. With this new concept, it wanted to face the challenges of the Brussels region: a constantly evolving demography with an increasing number of local shops, hence holders of the Professional Plus card. And a regional land use plan that does not allow traditional stores to exceed 1000 m² in certain areas. "Consequently, the Colruyt stores are smaller which makes living together for private and professional customers difficult. With this new concept, the shopping experience improves for both groups," André Giglio explained at the inauguration of the Meiser store. Opening the Colruyt Professionals in Drogenbos completes this field test and improves the geographical coverage. Colruyt will thoroughly evaluate the concept before considering to roll it out in other large cities.
Useful information:
Colruyt Professionals Drogenbos
Official opening: 29 September 2021
Address: Humaniteitslaan 209, 1620 Drogenbos
Tel.: 02 616 77 65
Opening hours:
Mon. - Sat. : 6.30 - 20.00
To know more about the Professional Plus card:
More info:
Feel free to contact:
Colruyt Group press office 0473 82 27 15 (FR) or (0)473 92 45 10 (NL) – [email protected]