SELEX Commercial Group is celebrating 60 years of activity in large-scale retail trade. Founded in 1964 as Unione Volontaria A&O, it has grown to become one of the leading players in large-scale retail trade in Italy, thanks to a collaborative model between independent companies. To mark the anniversary, the group organized an event in Milan, with over 700 participants from the business and academic worlds. The event, hosted by Andrea Cabrini of CNBC, retraced the group's history and paid tribute to Riccardo Francioni, former General Manager and a key figure in the development of the group and ESD Italia.
Among the guests, Roberto Baggio participated as a spokesperson for the "Tutti in Campo" campaign, alongside Riccardo Maino, a Trisome Games champion. Both support a project that funds sports courses for young people with disabilities. Mario Calabresi then offered a reflection on being entrepreneurs today, while the event concluded with a performance by Teresa Mannino. All attendees were given a monograph tracing the group's history.
Over the past few decades, SELEX has consolidated its leading position, closing 2023 with a turnover of €20,2 billion (an 11% increase over the previous year) and a network of over 3.328 stores. For 2024, the group expects to reach a turnover of €21,1 billion, with investments in new openings and renovations. SELEX is the majority shareholder of Centrale ESD Italia, with a 23,4% market share.
The group's business model is based on the collaboration of 18 independent companies, operating independently but sharing common goals. This approach has allowed them to combine managerial independence with collective strength, achieving significant results in the Italian retail landscape.
Maniele Tasca, General Manager of the SELEX Group commented:"Celebrating 60 years of history means celebrating the value of the businesses and entrepreneurs who form the heart of our group. SELEX has grown thanks to these companies' ability to innovate and compete in the highly complex retail sector. Our goal is to continue investing to address market challenges with greater efficiency and competitiveness. Over the last two years, despite the unfavorable overall economic climate, we have successfully defended the purchasing power of Italian families. Today, we believe there are two major challenges ahead of us in the coming years: on the one hand, increasing our customer loyalty in an increasingly competitive environment driven by demographic decline and the proliferation of sales channels and purchasing models; on the other, strengthening our businesses by supporting their growth in terms of expertise, innovation, and efficiency, leveraging economies of scale, group synergies, and fostering collaborative projects between shareholders."
