Forrás – a reliable source

Forrás Áruház Kft. is in 100-percent Hungarian ownership. They operate three C+C stores in Ebes, Miskolc and Nyíregyháza with great success.

Managing director Tibor Kerekes told our magazine that Forrás Áruház Kft. started out in 2010. The Ebes store, which has been open for 5 years now, is very popular among shop owners as they can purchase everything they need in a clean and well-arranged environment. There are famous hot water springs in the region, this is where the company’s name and the motto come from: ‘Forrás – a reliable source’ (forrás means both ‘spring’ and ‘source’ in Hungarian). There is no minimum buying limit in Forrás stores. Depending on the season they sell 11,000-14,000 SKUs. On a floor space of 4,000m² customers have plenty of space to navigate their carts. Pricer electronic shelf labels ensure that always the right prices are displayed. The majority of Forrás stores’ more than 1,500 customers are regular buyers, who keep returning thanks to the helpful staff and the reliable product quality. Forrás stores publish a promotional leaflet once a month and organise in-store special offers and discounts every fortnight. Mr Kerekes has been interested in trade since his childhood. He earned a degree in trade and marketing at the University of Debrecen. In 2011 Forrás Áruház Kft. opened a new store in Miskolc and in 2013 another in Nyíregyháza. The number of employees grew to 152. In the three C+Cs typical regional products are also sold, what is more, some products are listed locally, e.g. three different types of flour are sold in the three stores. They keep monitoring the changes in legislation and inform customers about relevant new regulations. Forrás stores have never been open on Sunday so the imminent mandatory closure doesn’t affect them. As for their customers, small shop owners, they may even profit from the new situation – reckons Tibor Kerekes. Half of the people who work at Forrás are women. Feminine values such as helpfulness, empathy and being nice to people in general contribute greatly to the company’s success. Each year the employees of the year are rewarded in all three stores. In the future the company intends to attract even more loyal customers, with more favourable prices and a wider selection of products, offering the usual high-quality service in an aesthetic shopping environment. The managing director emphasised: trust is the value they treasure the most, the customers, suppliers and employees who put their trust in Forrás Áruházak Kft. are the foundation on which Forrás builds – and they plan for the long term!(x)