“We only opened two stores in 2020. Our plans were to open 10 but most developers postponed the projects they had yet to start for the coming years. Instead, we are upgrading several stores such as those in Cluj, Oradea and Braila to be able to provide customers with a modern pleasant experience. Moreover, we have not closed any stores,” says Catalin Pozdarie, Hervis Romania CEO.
The sporting goods retailer arrived in Romania in 2007 at the height of the economic boom, with big expansion plans at first. The crisis more than a decade ago changed things, though. Hervis then resumed development, moving faster mainly in the past two years.
It opened six stores in 2019, compared with seven in 2018.
“We’re planning again to open 10 stores in 2021 and we hope we’ll be able to do it. We are also upgrading several stores to bring them up to the newest standards. Investments in Romania will continue.”
Hervis usually expands to shopping centers and malls. It 2020 new stores opened in Targu-Mures and Targoviste, in new shopping centers.
The pandemic, which forced malls to close for almost three months during lockdown interrupted a very good time for Hervis, as last year was its best in terms of sales in Romania.
The company ended 2019 with 252 million lei sales, an increase of 22% year-on-year and RON12.8 milion profit, 8.5% lower than in 2018.
Although it is hard to make a forecast for yearend even now, the retailer will definitely end 2020 with a double-digit decline in sales, the executive said.
Hervis has 38 stores in Romania .
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)