Turkish discount retailer giants BIM and Migros, two of the country’s largest supermarket chains, have announced Tuesday their approximate damage assessment from the recent massive earthquakes that hit Türkiye’s southeast.
BIM told the Public Disclosure Platform (KAP) that 250 of its stores in Türkiye have been damaged by the recent earthquake centered in Kahramanmaraş and those supermarkets will remain closed permanently.
The estimate is subject to change pending the results of detailed technical investigations, adding that the logistics activities of the Malatya regional warehouse have been temporarily moved to other regional warehouses due to partial damage.
The company also said that the earthquake resulted in the tragic loss of 23 BIM employees.
The massive earthquakes which occurred last week caused significant destruction in 10 provinces where an estimated 13.4 million people live. According to the latest information, the death toll has risen to 35,418.
Migros, meanwhile, has also announced that 66 of its stores in 10 provinces were affected by the earthquake and are currently unusable. In a statement to KAP, Migros revealed that all 228 of its stores in the affected regions are rented and insured.
The company estimates that 22 of its employees lost their lives due to the disaster.
As of Jan. 31, 2023, Migros operates a total of 2,927 supermarkets across the country.
