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Billa was founded in 1953 by Karl Wlaschek under the name of WKW (Warenhandel Karl Wlaschek). The name Billa, standing for Billiger Laden (cheap store), was adopted in 1960. The chain grew quickly during the following decades, with turnover topping a billion Austrian shillings in 1970. In 1996, Billa was acquired by Rewe , and, following the demise of the Konsum and Meinl groups, became Austria's largest supermarket chain, with a market share of 35.8% in 2002. In some areas of the country, particularly in Vienna, it is safe to say that Billa is almost a monopolist, as hardly any supermarket other than Billa or any of its other franchises (Merkur, Mondo, Emma and Bipa) can be found.
While typical Billa markets are urban stores of about 450 square meters per outlet, hypermarkets of the group operate under the brand name Merkur.
Billa is owned by Rewe Group, which also operates XXL and Selgros outlets in Romania. Billa is one of the most widespread supermarkets in Romania, opening its first store in Bucharest in 1999. Since then, it has opened stores in:
There are also three stores in Bucharest. As of 2004, there are 13 stores in total. In 20012001 is a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar), and also: The International Year of the Volunteer The United Nations Year of Dialogue Among Civilizations Events January January 1 A black monolith measuring approximately nine feet tall ap, Billa aimed to have opened 50 stores in Romania by 20052005 is a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). It has been designated: The World Year of Physics The International Year of Microcredit The International Year for Sport and Physical Education The United States Year of Foreign. While this goal seems a bit too ambitious, the supermarket is expanding at a very fast rate.
Billa's stores are generally referred to as hypermarkets, due to their huge size and surroundings. For example, Billa's newest Bucharest store has an area of 2000 sq. metres, with a parking lot for 200 cars, employing 100 people and selling 7500 products. The company's marketing motto is Billa - Cel mai bun pentru mine (Billa - The best for me), which outlines the nature of the chain, which is to provide the best quality products at low prices. Along with a huge amount of investment in the Romanian market, Billa recorded a profit of 59.9 billion lei (1.6 million euroThe euro ISO 4217 code EUR is the currency of twelve of the twenty-five nations that form the European Union (and four outside it, as well as Montenegro and Kosovo), which form the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). It is the result of the most significan) in 2001.
See also List of supermarketsSupermarkets, past and present, include: Transnational Please list originating (HQ) country first. The rest in alphabetical order. A and P US and Canada Aldi Germany Australia, Netherlands, Republic of Ireland, Spain, United Kingdom. Auchan France Hungary, Supermarkets in RomaniaThe Romanian supermarket industry is a highly successful market in the retail area. The conception of supermarkets or hypermarkets came to Romania after 1989, and most supermarkets are made up of joint ventures between Romanian and foreign investors., XXL, Selgros