Business-to-business brand Colruyt Professionals is expanding into Flanders

Colruyt Professionals, the retail format through which Colruyt Group serves exclusively professional customers, is opening its first two stores in Flanders today and next week. The retailer sees potential for about ten stores.

Three additional locations

Since the opening of its first pilot store in Schaarbeek in 2020, Colruyt Professionals has already opened five stores in Brussels and Wallonia. Now the first stores in Flanders are opening: today on Ottergemsesteenweg Zuid in Ghent, near foodservice wholesaler Sligro. On April 15, a store will open at the former Makro site in Machelen. In the coming years, Colruyt Professionals aims to open a total of about ten stores across the country. An additional location will also open in Wallonia this year: in Alleur, near Liège.

“As the only Belgian retailer, we believe it is essential to be there for all our customers. There is significant demand from professional customers in Flanders for a dedicated retail offering,” says Jo Willemyns, director of food retail at Colruyt Group. “The success of our stores in Brussels and Wallonia confirmed our growth plans, and the strong presence of late-night stores, neighborhood stores, and the hospitality sector in Flanders also played an important role.”

The growth of Colruyt Professionals stores also benefits retail customers. The concept takes pressure off regular Colruyt stores by shifting high-volume purchases to the B2B stores. Retailers can shop there more efficiently, with larger carts, wider aisles, and an assortment consisting mainly of bulk packaging, bulk goods, and pallets.