Sheng Siong outgunned in supermarket wars. Is it a worry?
By Gwyneth Yeo / theedgemarkets.com.sg | December 14, 2016 : 12:58 PM MYT
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SINGAPORE (Dec 14): Maybank Kim Eng has downgraded Sheng Siong Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating after the supermarket operator failed to secure any new supermarket sites in December.
Maybank Kim Eng analyst Gregory Yap noted that there was a repeat of the competitive bids seen in October, with the winning bids achieving prices of above $20 psf. Sheng Siong’s bids were closer to $16 psf.
The two HDB supermarket sites up for tender in December were won by small operators - Yes Supermarket and an individual linked to U Stars Supermarket - who each operate about three or four other sites.
As Yap explains it, if Yes and U Stars continue to secure new sites in this fashion, there will be an increased risk of aggressive bids coming from larger supermarket operators NTUC and Cold Storage when the latter find themselves unable to secure any new sites.
That throws a spanner in Sheng Siong’s own expansion plans. “This is critical because new stores drive sales growth much more than old stores,” wrote Yap in a note on Wednesday.
What’s more, Yap added that there will be no supermarket sites coming up for bidding in the next 6 months for Woodlands, where the group needs to replace its 41,400 sf store that is scheduled to close in June 2017. The group also needs to replace its 45,000 sf store in The Verge which is expected to close in early 2017.
That said, Sheng Siong’s management indicated that it remains in the running for a closed-bid site that is “fairly sizeable”, and has a “promising” location that caters to old and new estates and future new HDB developments.
“However, if it again fails to clinch this site, there is a potential risk that its new store opening plans could be jeopardised,” concludes Yap.
To that end, Yap recommends buying Jumbo Group.
Shares of Sheng Siong and Jumbo are trading at 96 cents and 2.5 cents on Wednesday.