Belgian retailer Delhaize Group said it would expand its convenience store concept Delhaize City to Germany, Greece, Romania and the Czech Republic.

The Delhaize city centre shops concentrate on selling fresh foods and ready-made meals. The group said it had seen a shift in the retail market to smaller city centre shops and affiliated stores.

Outside Belgium, the first City store will open in October in the German town of Aix-la-Chapelle. Stores will open in Athens, Bucharest and Prague by the end of the year.