Type
Business expansion
Country
Bulgaria
Region
Severna Bulgaria; Severen tsentralen; Pleven
Location of affected unit(s)
Pleven
Sector
Retail
Retail Trade, Except Of Motor Vehicles And Motorcycles
Retail Sale Of Other Household Equipment In Specialised Stores
47.5 - Retail sale of other household equipment in specialised stores

110 jobs
Number of planned job creations
Job creation
Announcement Date
26 October 2006
Employment effect (start)
26 October 2006
Foreseen end date

Description

German home decor retailer Praktiker has opened a store in Pleven, Northern Bulgaria. The 7,000 sq m outlet, the company's fifth in Bulgaria, will employ some 110 people and will carry over 50,000 items. According to Riner Vitka, the company's manager for Bulgaria, some BGN 10 million has been invested in the construction of the new store. Praktiker plans to open another three outlets in Bulgaria by the end of 2007, bringing their total to 8. The new stores will most likely be sited in Burgas, Ruse and Stara Zagora.

At the moment, Praktiker operates two outlets in Sofia and one each in Varna and Plovdiv.

Praktiker's main rival on the local Do-It-Yourself (DIY) market is France's Mr.Bricolage which also has five stores. The company has planned launches in Stara Zagora and Burgas for the remainder of 2006 and is eyeing Pleven as well.

Praktiker and Mr.Bricolage will soon have to reckon with Austria's BauMax which is poised for a market entry by way of Plovdiv.


Sources

Citation

Eurofound (2006), Praktiker, Business expansion in Bulgaria, factsheet number 64314, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/64314.