With the new openings scheduled for the next three months, Inditex will have opened 21 stores in 2011, the year when one of his largest rival globally, Sweden’s H&M, started opening the first stores.
“By late October, we will open another 15 stores that will be
added to the 51 already existing ones,” says Cioltea.
The retailer plans to step up the expansion clip this year, after
having opened 14 stores in each of the past two years, reaching a
total of 51 units in late 2010. With the openings planned by late
October, the retailer will reach a total number of 72 stores,
cementing its position as the largest apparel store chain.
Thus, this September Inditex will open 8 stores, four in Lotus
Oradea and another four in Galeria Arad. Each of the two shopping
centers will have a Zara, Bershka, Pull&Bear and Stradivarius
store, according to Cioltea. This is the Spanish company’s first
arrival in the two cities, as the retailer has so far been present
only in Timisoara.
In October, Inditex is set to open seven stores, namely the
Stradivarius store in Unirea Shopping Center and another six stores
in Constanta in Maritimo shopping center.
Inditex’ new openings are mainly outside Bucharest, where there are already 32 stores.
While the economy was plagued by the financial crisis and consumer spending followed a downward trend, 2009 and 2010 were not crisis years for the Spanish group, as it continued to open stores and its turnover rose from around EUR45 million to EUR75 million in 2009 and to some EUR100 million last year, according to ZF estimates, if the growth pace of the past two years maintained.
(English version by Catalina Apostoiu, Editing by Loredana Fratila Cristescu)