Italy's Benetton Group has finally decided to open its first official store in Romania after being present on the market for several years through franchises.
"Romania is an important market, it has potential, and the Benetton brand benefits from awareness and demand on this market," Ina Nastasoiu, managing partner with Benetton Romania, the company set up in Romania by the Italian producer, told Ziarul Financiar.
The first store owned by the Italian group in Romania was opened on Calea Victoriei in Bucharest in the early days of 2005.
"We are location-scouting both in Bucharest and in the large provincial towns," Nastasoiu added.
According to the Benetton Romania official, the first stores will be opened in Bucharest (Plaza Romania), Iasi and Timisoara. Benetton has big plans for Timisoara, which is home to many Italians, some of whom, according to Nastasoiu, even come from Treviso, where Benetton has its headquarters.
"We are looking both for street locations and commercial complexes. The only problem may be the very high rents, which in some cases are even higher than abroad," Nastasoiu explained.
The average investment in a Benetton store is 300 euros per square metre. The furniture and even the white marble used for these stores come from the suppliers Benetton works with. The store located on Calea Victoriei has some 200 square metres, which means the investment is worth around 60,000 euros.
"According to our estimates, we will sell 18,000-20,000 items this year, which means we will break even after our very first year in business. In fact, the sales we estimate for Romania are similar to the average sales seen at any other Benetton store abroad, namely ten items per square metre," Nastasoiu says.
The Italian producer sells brands such as United Colors of Benetton (for adults and children), Undercolors (lingerie), Sisley (the group's most fashion-oriented brand), Playlife (sportswear), and Killer Loop (for youth).
ionut.bonoiu@zf.ro
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