Chorten

Chorten is a Polish group of independent grocery stores operating on a soft franchise, or partnership, model. Independent shopkeepers join a large buying group to gain the purchasing power of a national chain while keeping their own store name, their own pricing and full operational control. Unlike a rigid chain, you are not forced into a single visual identity, a fixed assortment or supplier exclusivity and there are no purchasing quotas – the agreement is built around support and group leverage rather than top-down control.

Head office brings you a portfolio of hundreds of pre-negotiated supplier and distributor agreements, national and regional, that unlock purchase terms unavailable to a standalone shop, high retroactive volume bonuses and favourable payment terms. You get a dedicated store coordinator, marketing support (leaflets in which partner stores have a real say over the assortment, billboards, loyalty programs), a shared IT platform and mobile app for ordering, bonus tracking and contract access, staff training and discounted purchases of store equipment. As the operator you run the shop day to day – staffing, local pricing, choosing which suppliers to buy from, stock, store standards and customer service.