The network of stores increased by 7% in the first nine months, which means the company grew both inorganically, through opening new stores, and organically, through the stores already opened.
H&M Romania has a number of 41 units, 3 units more compared with the nine month before.
H&M is the most powerful fashion brand on the local market. At a group level, Inditex is a leader with sales of almost EUR200 million in 2014 and a number of seven brands, including Zara, and a number of 100 units.
H&M operates on the local market only with their flagship brand but it considering bringing others, such as premium brand COS.
Thus, should H&M keep the same growth pace, the company will register EUR200 million end-2015, on the 5th year on the market.
The company has approached an aggressive expansion pace with 10 annual openings. H&M focused both on large towns and mid-sized towns such as Botosani, Targu-Jiu or Buzau.
According to ZF calculation, Romania was from the beginning one of the markets with the best results in the region, with average sales per unit 50% higher than the Czech Republic, for example. Though the average salary on the local market is twice smaller than Poland’s and the Czech Republic’s, the sales of H&M units are higher, on the backdrop of fashion appetite of local clients.
(English version by Manuela Panescu)