Given a macroeconomic environment characterized by increasing competition and increasingly demanding and selective consumers, GPA will remain focused on its strategy of operational excellence, gains in efficiency and cost reduction.

Its resources will be steered to ensure the aggressive organic growth foreseen by the Company, which will be sustained, principally, by expansion of the Minimercado Extra, Assaí and Casas Bahia banners.

The strong expansion of proximity stores will be facilitated by building models that are appropriate for the various consumer profiles, like the development of more compact stores under the Pão de Açúcar banner.

The multi-channel approach of the businesses will be reinforced with the dissemination of innovative initiatives, facilitating consumer access to the products marketed through the Group’s different formats.

The concept will be enabled further by strengthening Nova Pontocom’s e-commerce operations, which are an important strategic axis for solidifying and disseminating synergies among the different businesses and formats.

Synergies with the Casino Group will also be probed and expanded, with the development of initiatives linked to operating proximity stores, a segment in which Casino operates more than 6,500 units in France, and global bargaining, toward offering better products at the best prices, among other efforts.

The Company will move forward with its policies for socio-environmental responsibility and with a structured program focused on the sustainable management of its operations, focusing increasingly on the question of sustainability, both at the corporate level, in establishing guidelines and policies, and in the context of each business.