Further eastwards

The end of September saw Praktiker open its first DIY superstore in Bucharest, the capital of Romania. The store, which has a retail area of 5 830 m² and was completed after a construction period of four months, employs a staff of around 90. The location in the north-eastern part of Bucharest, nextdoor to a Metro Cash&Carry store, is also the headquarters of the Romanian international company’s central administration.
Opening day saw a great crowd at Praktiker.
Since there is an increased demand for renovating products in Romania, one of the key categories in the product offer consists of building materials and structural components as well as all kinds of installation accessories. In addition, the newly opened store is designed to cover the requirements of DIYers, tradesmen and gardening enthusiasts with a total of more than 40 000 items. Additional services that are available include product delivery, the cutting of wood and fabrics to order, a replacement guarantee, information about access to tradesmen, an order service, a paint mixing facility and financing arrangements.
Romania’s population of 22 mio amounts to about one third of the total for all the Balkan states put together, making it the most heavily populated country in the Balkan region. Michael Arnold, the board member with responsibility for internationalisation, explains the company’s latest foreign commitment as follows, “This background makes the country downright promising in terms of building and DIY business.” According to Arnold, Praktiker is aiming for market leadership in Romania over the next few years and planning to open 15 new stores. One further new opening is scheduled for Bucharest next year. In order to continue with expansion in Romania, Praktiker will take advantage of locations where Metro already operates C&C stores, with synergies resulting both from the complementary product offer and the infrastructure.
The first Romanian Praktiker opened in the north-east of Bucharest, immediately adjacent to a Metro C&C store.
Other operators
But as a west European DIY retailer opening a new store in Bucharest, Praktiker was not the pioneer in Romania: March 2002 saw the opening of the first Bricostore in the western part of Bucharest. Bricostore belongs to the French Compagnie Bresson, which already operates five DIY superstores in Hungary. The first Bricostore outlet in Bucharest is situated opposite a Carrefour supermarket and covers an area of 12 000 m² including a 1 000…