Bricostore DIY network, part of French group Bresson, estimates sales worth 170m euros this year on the Romanian market, up 23% from 2006, after it opens a new store in Pitesti before the end of the year.

The network currently has seven stores, with four of them located in Bucharest. The company is set to invest 6m euros in the Pitesti store, which is located in a retail park owned by the real estate developer Avrig 35.

"In the first six months of this year, we derived turnover worth 83m euros, up 51% against the same period in 2006," stated Isabelle Pleska, general manager of Bricostore Romania. H1 trend was registered after a store opened in the Baneasa shopping area of Bucharest. The largest investment per store operated by the company (14m euros) was made in a store in the Feeria shopping centre, and is the network's largest, with a 14,500 square metre area. Last year, the retailer posted an around 65% increase in turnover against 2005, to 138m euros, with net income put at 17.8m euros, according to the data sent to the Finance Ministry.

"Next year, we intend to open four stores, which includes one in Braila and one in Arad. With regard to the other locations we cannot reveal any details yet, for strict real estate reasons," added Isabelle Pleska.

Bricostore last year announced it would select locations next to other large stores, such as hypermarkets, which will have a positive impact on the DIY network's expansion rate.

In 2006, Targoviste was also a target for expansion in 2007, however the company has yet to confirm the finalisation of any project at this location, at present.

Last year, Bricostore representatives estimated they would reach sales worth 500m euros by around 2011, with approximately 30 stores. A Bricostore outlet displays around 35,000 items, with 20% directly imported from Europe and Asia.

Bricosto