Stefanel waits for larger malls before expanding

Stefanel, the first international retailer that directly entered the domestic clothing market seventeen years ago is keeping an eye on how this year's mall projects unfold, with a view to expanding its store network in Romania. "We still have to decide where the next Stefanel store will be located, because we anticipate large malls will open first. We have analysed projects like Casa Radio, but it is very difficult for us to pick a location at present, even though all offers are extremely tempting," Lucio Mandreda, chairman of Stefanel Romania told ZF. The company will also look beyond Bucharest for expansion. "We want to open stores in other cities in Romania where we are not present and, for instance, will consider, Oradea, Arad and Pitesti," said Giuseppe Stefanel, chairman of the Stefanel group.