French group Avenir Telecom has strengthened its presence on the domestic market of GSM mobile phone distribution, having acquired the network of 45 stores owned by Goldstern International, a group that is controlled by businessman Andrei Cubitchi of Timisoara.
Negotiations lasted six months and were completed in September, according to officials of Avenir Telecom, the owner of the Internity chain. The acquisition was handled by a firm part of the Goldstern group, which owned the commercial spaces. "We have practically taken over only the spaces, which were all rented," stated William Quillet, a manager with Avenir Telecom International. He chose not to offer details as to the value of the transaction, but telecom market analysts put the deal at over one million dollars.
Set up in 1997, at the same time the first GSM network was launched in Romania, the domestic branch of French group Avenir Telecom is one of the top distributors on the domestic mobile phone market, providing specific services as well (as an Orange dealer). After two years, the French group bought 70% in GlobalNET, the company founded by businessman Liviu Nistoran. Subsequently, Avenir acquired the entire network, which it turned into Internity.
Avenir Telecom this year owned a retail network made up of 30 Internity stores on the Romanian market, located in the main cities of southern and eastern Romania. The location of the new centres, most of which are to be found in western Romania, is complementary, say telecom analysts. Avenir officials maintain that in 2005 all the units part of the Internity network would be refurbished.
This year, Avenir Telecom sold the Cetelec network of service centres that it owned on the domestic market to Cordon Electronics group, specialised in such services. The company had 53 units countrywide.
The general manager of Avenir Telecom Romania, Petrut Stoica, announced the retail network would be further expanded. "Should the market present new acquisition opportunities, we will make new purchases. On the other hand, we will also expand organically, by opening new locations in commercial centres and galleries," Stoica said.
According to the official, turnover derived by Avenir's Romanian branch will reach 25 million euros by the end of this year, with a 50% increase projected for next year. The company last year posted turnover revolving around 15 million euros, 20% higher year-on-year. The target for 2004 pointed to a 20% rise.
On the GSM terminals distribution market, the main rivals of Internity are Germanos Romania (a Connex dealer), EuroGSM (Orange) and Dasimpex.
Avenir Telecom was set up in 1989 and is active in several European and Asian countries.
dan.dragomir@zf.ro
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