Marelvi expects 5-10% growth this year

Romanian electrical home appliances distributor Marelvi expects turnover to rise by 5-10% this year, to around 45m euros, after it sealed a partnership with Carrefour and added new brands to its portfolio. Marelvi's distribution activity is mainly focused on approximately 300 independent electronics retailers. The company delivers electronics and electrical home appliances to the Dedeman store network as well. In 2009, Marelvi's turnover shrank by 8%, to 41m euros, on a market that contracted by 42% to 1.4bn euros, according to GfK Romania statistical data. "It was a difficult year, but we all learnt something. I believe it made us all analyse, review, think and act cautiously," stated Dumitru Mihalescul, Marelvi general manager. Marelvi representatives stated in 2009 that the business followed the economic trend of each area, with the biggest problems related to payments and insolvencies registered in the southern and northern parts of the country. "Transylvania was the most stable area".