DM opens 30 drugstores and wants 20 more by 2012

DM Drogerie Markt, the German retailer selling cosmetics and consumer goods, is betting on Romania to expand its drugstore market, given that none of its direct rivals, Schlecker, Muller or Rossmann, has chosen it for expansion so far.
The company, with 2010 turnover valued at over 14m euros, double the 2009 level, has currently reached 30 stores countrywide and has already contracted another five retail spaces by yearend.
"Next year, we'll start with an opening in Piaţa Unirii area, a store we want to be a sales leader, and starting April we'll mainly tackle street front locations, so that we should reach a 50-strong network by September," stated Milan Radin, general manager of DM Drogerie Markt Romania.
Against a 500,000-euro average investment per store, the total budget for the next calendar year amounts to at least 10m euros. The company, which has over 200 employees at present, will recruit around 140 people for its scheduled stores.