The Romanian retail market was first noticed by the big players several years ago. As those that were brave enough to open stores back then are now posting increasingly better results, companies are beginning to pay more attention to this sector.
German group Schwarz is the latest foreign addition to the Romanian retail market, and has already bought 20 plots of land to build stores this year, according to the foreign press.
The German group operates two store brands, Lidl (small discount stores) and Kaufland (hypermarkets). However only the group's second brand will come to Romania, according to the web page of German publication Lebensmittel Zeitung. Contacted by Ziarul Financiar, Kaufland Romania officials would not comment on the information.
However, the first Kaufland stores may start operating this fall on the Romanian market, whereas construction works for the two first units will begin this spring in Timisoara, according to the Romanian city's officials.
British group Tesco, which has been keeping an eye on the Romanian market for several years, in its turn said that it was planning to pursue expansion in Romania, following the encouraging results it posted in Central Europe, the Financial Times shows.
The odyssey of the international companies that came to open stores in Romania started in 1996, when German group Metro opened its first cash & carry store in Bucharest. Seven years later, the German group has come to control 19 stores and posted over 700 million euros in turnover (in 2002), thus ranking among the largest companies in Romania. Later on, Metro also brought in Romania its bricolage store division, Praktiker, which counted four units last year. The Schwarz group is owned by the billionaire Dieter Schwarz and has for some 4,800 stores worldwide.
ionut.bonoiu@zf.ro
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