Dia

Dia is a leading international food distributor that also distributes fast-moving and HPC goods across five countries; Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Argentina and China. In 2016 the company maintained 7,799 stores, both proprietary and franchised. Dia operates under different formats; Dia Market, Dia Maxi, Clarel and Minipreco. The company's goal is to deliver high quality products at unbeatable prices.

It was first established in 1979 in the Saconia district of Madrid, Spain. By 1983 the corporate image of the brand was formed and it began franchising in 1989. A store in Portugal became its first franchisee outside Spain in 1993 and following continued success in Europe, Dia went on to set up franchises in Argentina and later in Brazil and China. There are 3,969 franchises, generating 25,000 jobs.

Franchise System

Franchising is a dominant and powerful factor in Dia. 48% of Dia's total network operates as franchises. The franchises are run under an umbrella of the Dia framework, creating the opportunity for entrepreneurs around the globe to run an existing successful business model. It is a flexible franchise model that places emphasis on the neighbourhood segment where it aims to provide customers with their daily essentials in a way that's convenient and hassle free.

There is a comprehensive system in place to handle franchises. All franchisees will receive initial and ongoing training, as well as regular contact with the franchiser so support is always available. Dia places emphasis on two way communication between headquarters and individual franchisees to ensure all voices are being heard and to make sure the franchisees are aware of how vital they are to the company’s success.

Dia is the leading Spanish franchiser based on the number of stores and total sales figures. Worldwide, it ranks in the top ten food distributers and it is the number three in Europe.

Corporate Social Responsibility

Dia are committed to environmental conservation and economic progress and aim to continue to create a better business based on an ethical framework that highlights people and the environment.

Environment

Dia has a detailed Environmental Commitment Policy that is designed to express the obligations Dia has to the environment. The policy states the compliance Dia has with government regulations and laws concerning the environment. It lays out how they are responsible for their use of resources, the eco-design of packaging and the measures they must take to reduce greenhouse gases.

In 2015, Dia increased its environmental commitment by increasing the environmental spending by 74%.

Community Work

Dia prioritises getting food to as many people as possible and to doing as much good as it can for the communities it operates in. Dia works with children in particular, who may not have access to proper food or care.

Some of Dia's initiatives include Dia making itself available to non-profit organisations that sell food for charity. An example of this was the initiative 'Charity Bottles of Water,' Dia collaborated with Unicef.

In 2014, Dia collaborated with The Theodora Foundation which aims to prevent children from being afraid of staying in hospitals.

Dia have also collaborated with the Spanish Food Confederation – FESBAL – in order to distribute surplus food to the underprivileged.

Dia also took part in World Rare Disease Day and supports the 'Building Networks of Hope' campaign, which creates awareness and connections for people living with a rare disease in Spain.

There are many more brilliant projects and initiatives that Dia get involved with, which are all discussed on their website.

News

In the future, the company aims to open a large number of new stores. Dia is focusing on Argentina and Brazil as areas to expand in. By 2020, the long term goal is to have 1,100 establishments in Argentina, which at the moment already has 872 stores. Similarly, Dia aims to have 1,500 stores in Brazil where there are currently 1,050 stores located.

Sources
http://www.diacorporate.com/en/company/
http://www.diacorporate.com/en/customer/franchises/
http://www.diacorporate.com/en/csr/community-work/social-projects-2016.html
https://www.clarin.com/ieco/economia/supermercados-dia-preve-abrir-nuevas-bocas-argentina_0_SJR3QrdQb.html