Système U

Système U

Type	retailers' cooperative
Industry	Retail
Founded	1894
Headquarters	Rungis, France
Key people	Serge Papin
Products	Super U, Marché U, Super U, Utile
Revenue	€ 15.6billion (2007)
Website	http://www.magasins-u.com/

Système U is a French retailers' cooperative, comprising about eight hundred independent hypermarkets, and supermarkets, headquartered in the Parc Tertiaire SILIC in Rungis, France.^[1]

It owns the trademarks Hyper U, Super U, Marché U and Utile, which are used by its members. It had a pre-tax turnover of 12.7 billion euro in 2002 and 13.8 billion in 2003 ^[2], rising to 15.6 billion euro in 2007; this makes the company the sixth largest retail group in France.^{[citation needed]}

It is directly descended from the Pain Quotidien ('daily bread') cooperative which was founded in western France in 1894. It arranged a strategic alliance with the larger E.Leclerc supermarket group in 1999.

The sub-brands

A Super U store in Nantes.

There are three brands found within Système U:

• The largest (in size terms) is the hypermarket Hyper U, which accounts for 15.89% of the group. There are 48 Hyper U stores, which account for a total of 239,293 square metres of retail space (at an average of 4985 square metres per store). The average spend per trip is €43.60. ^[3]. These are generally found outside of larger towns, but normally as stand-alone structures (rather than as part of a shopping centre)

• The next brand down (in terms of size) is Super U which accounts for 79.58% of the group. There are 672 Super U stores, which account for a total of 1,355,004 square metres of retail space (at an average of 2016 square metres per store). The average spend per trip is €33.30. These are your typical supermarket, and are found either in the centre of, or on the outskirts of smaller towns. Again they exist as standalone structures. ^[3]

• Within city centres (and in rural areas), there are smaller stores known as Marché U (subdivided once again into Marché U and Marché U Urbaine), which accounts for 4.53% of the group. There are 143 Marché U stores, which account for a total of 104,468 square metres of retail space (at an average of 730 square metres per store). The average spend per trip is €17.00. ^[3]

References

1. ^ "Mentions Légales." Système U. Retrieved on 20 November 2010. "Système U Centrale Nationale - Parc Tertiaire SILIC 72/92, avenue Robert Schuman - 94533 Rungis Cede."
2. ^ http://www.pme.gouv.fr/economie/chiffresclefs/214.pdf
3. ^ ^{a b c} Système U corporate website

External links

	Paris portal
	Companies portal
	Food portal

• magasins u