[Case study] Makro Belgium cut the equivalent cost of 200 full-time staff

Background

In Belgium, the hypermarket chain Makro (sold by Metro AG to the investment company Bronze Properties in the summer of 2022) operates 6 stores and has an annual turnover of €500 million. Similar to all hypermarkets in Europe, the business has been suffering for years. Stores cover 10,000 to 20,000 sq.m of sales area, to which are added DIY “drive-in”, resulting in a model with very high staffing costs (1,200 full-time equivalents at the end of 2020).…