In 1987, Unirea's clients were buying footwear "under thecounter". Right after the Revolution, before Christmas, Unireagenerated 1bn-euro sales in just one day. Since 1994, young peoplehave given up the University Square Clock for the McDonald's inUnirea as a meeting place and they now are coming here as they weregoing to a mall.
The changing consumers, consumption preferences and market haveturned Unirea Shopping Center into a symbol of capitalism. Thestores now filling 60,000 square metres, brands like Zara,McDonald's, Mango or Douglas, the entertainment area and thestore's location close to the kilometre zero, make Unirea one ofthe most visited shopping centres of Romania, a serious rival forthe malls that opened after 1999.
Adamescu family, the centre's majority shareholder, knew that themillions of euros invested in the store's modernisation or thecontracts signed with renowned names will boost the market value ofthe company, which has currently reached capitalisation of around215m RON (50m euros), from 3.5m RON in late 1999, when the storewas privatised.
The store's beginning was marked, though, by the department storemodel. Owned by the state, Unirea was opened in the second half of1979 to sell Romanian products. The structure was a standard one.Today, stands have turned into stores with bright signs and specialfurniture for product exhibits, products have labels and the confectionery shop has turned into a food court.
Until the other two sections, Splai and Calarasi, were opened, 20years ago, people came to Unirea for food and clothes or shoes.Subsequently, the food lost ground to other products.
In 1999, the store was privatised. It was the moment ofreorganisation and the first year when major brands startedbattling for space in Unirea. "We're developing with the market. Wehave to adapt ourselves. We're in a financial crisis, there are allkinds of situations, talks, but Unirea has also tried to bringmajor brands that should generate a client flow," says EugenIonescu, the current head of the contract department.
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