Hervis, the sporting goods retail arm of Spar group, started expanding in Romania in early 2007, with five stores opened outside Bucharest, but in less than half a year the company will cover the Bucharest market with two stores of above 1,500 square metres each.

Hervis' domestic expansion to 50 stores on the medium term is coordinated by Catalin Pozdarie, the one who helped consolidate the Adidas brand in Romania.

"In 2009, we want to have between four and five openings, with our plans also including stores in Bucharest, so that we should cover the important areas of this city.

The next Hervis, with an area of around 1,500 square metres, is due to be opened in Militari shopping centre," Pozdarie told ZF.

The company will thus join other brands already present in Romania, such as Deichmann or Humanic, or that will be launched in the shopping centre of western Bucharest, including Decathlon or C&A.

Catalin Pozdarie is not at his first contact with apparel retail. Sixteen years ago, he got into contact with the textile industry, working for Steilman, at the production department.

After two years, he entered retail, being appointed as a development manager of Stefanel, the first international company that directly entered the Romanian apparel market. In 2006, Pozdarie took over the position of manager of the exclusive distributor of Adidas in Romania.

The importer of the Adidas brand was part of Alltrom group controlled by businessmen Gabriel Popoviciu and Radu Dimofte, and was run by Pozdarie for eight years.

In 1999, with the opening of the first mall-type shopping centre of Romania, in Vitan district of Bucharest, the manager for the first time took into account placing the stores he ran in a new location. "(...) In 2000, we opened the first Benetton store in Bucuresti Mall and in 2001 we also entered with Adidas,"