International apparel retailers, especially discount ones, haveexpanded further over the past two years despite the shrinkingshopping budgets, so that 17 of the largest store networks atEuropean level have come to operate 175 stores in Romania, revealsa ZF survey.
These companies, such as Inditex, C&A or Marks & Spencer,are European leaders in terms of apparel sales, having joint annualturnovers of over 50bn euros and networks of around 18,000stores.
However, not all networks have expanded domestically. Thus, whileTakko, Orsay or New Yorker have come to operate networks of 20-30stores, Italy's Benetton have closed down all the 13 stores ofRomania, with the brand being present domestically only throughthree franchise stores. On the other hand, Germany's New Yorker hasopened 12 or the 17 stores of the network in the past two years,and at least three new launches are scheduled for this year.
"Romania's consumer market is now at the same level with countriessuch as Hungary or the Czech Republic, whose population is halfthat of Romania. Retailers' strategy is to enter now, to 'plant theseed' to grow with the market, which should double in ten years,"explains Klaus Reisenauer, a shareholder in Oasis real estatedeveloper, which builds shopping projects for clients such asC&A and Takko.
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