Rewe International increases its turnover in Austria

Leading supermarket company Rewe International AG said its turnover in Austria soared at over seven billion Euros last year.The company, which handles the Austrian business activities of the German Rewe Group, said today (Fri) that it achieved a turnover of 7.04 billion Euros in 2010, up by 1.83 per cent compared to 2009.Rewe International said its shop chains Billa, Merkur and Bipa grew strongly last year, while Penny and Adeg struggled.Rewe International’s shops dominate the Austrian supermarket sector. Spar Austria, which achieved a year on year turnover increase of 4.5 per cent to 5.15 billion Euros in 2010, is in second.Rewe International chief Frank Hensel warned earlier this month that “price hikes will be unavoidable.”Hensel explained that significant crop shortfalls and exaggerated speculation activities over foodstuff prices were a worry to him.”There’s no reason for us to be euphoric about 2011,” he said.