French-Belgian retailer, Cora-Louis Delhaize, has announced that it is expecting its Romanian operations to generate a turnover of 170 million euro in 2005, exceeding the initial estimate of 150 million euro. Of the total, 50 million euro will represent the sales of the retailer's recently opened outlet in Bucharest, Cora Lujerului. The company invested 40 million euro in the opening of the hypermarket in September 2005.

The first Cora hypermarket in Romania, Cora Pantelimon, opened in 2003 after an investment of 50 million euro and generated a 100 million euro turnover in 2004. Cora-Louis Delhaize is planning on opening one new Cora hypermarket in Romania in 2006, in the north-western city of Cluj-Napoca, following an investment of 25 million euro. The retailer plans to invest 500 million euro in 14 new Cora outlets in Romania over the next few years.

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