At 46 years old, Tasos Kapos, who describes himself as a grocer, is perhaps the most striking example of how the franchise model is transforming the Greek food retail landscape.
AB Vassilopoulos’s largest franchisee started 14 years ago with a single store in Zacharo, Elis, at a time when the Greek economy was plunging into its deepest economic crisis. Today, he manages a network of 42 stores in Attica, the Peloponnese, and Western Greece, generating an annual turnover exceeding 60 million euros through its partnership with AB Vasilopoulos. This alone ranks it among the top 12 players in the supermarket industry.
“I’m a grocer. I may have gone to college, but I’ve spent my whole life in a store,” he says, describing the journey that began at his family’s grocery store in Zacharo, which he took over at age 31 after his father passed away.
In 2011, he faced a critical decision: either to remain stagnant or to seek a new path for growth. His initial contact with Carrefour-Marinopoulos, the dominant player at the time, did not convince him. Instead, the proposal from AB Vassilopoulos—with specific operating standards and a long-term growth plan—proved to be the turning point.
The first franchise store opened in 2012 in Zacharo. This was followed by stores in Krestena in 2014, Aitoliko in 2016, and then expansion into Athens. Today, the network comprises 20 large stores and 20 Shop & Go locations, with four more new stores expected to be added in the near future.
Tassos Kapos’s expansion is part of a broader strategy implemented by AB Vassilopoulos under Nikos Lavidas, gradually shifting the focus of growth to local entrepreneurs. The goal of the Greek subsidiary of the Ahold Delhaize Group is to have a network of 900 stores by 2028, 700 of which will operate under a franchise model.
Regarding the consumer model and the differences between customers in the provinces and those in the capital, Mr. Kapos notes: “In the provinces, customers do almost all their shopping at a single store. In Athens, they spread their shopping across multiple retail outlets.”
At the same time, changes in consumer habits are creating new opportunities for growth. A prime example is the butcher shop he set up at the Zacharo store. Today, this business accounts for 11% of the store’s total revenue, with annual sales of approximately 550,000 euros.
Regarding the cost of living, he notes that the market continues to be driven by the monthly income cycle, with the first ten days of each month remaining the strongest sales period.