Romanian Daily

Mothercare to Launch 20 Stores Abroad in '06

IulianBulandra — 2006-01-11T07:37:13+00:00

Greek Kloukinas Lappas, a franchisee of British maternity, baby and children's clothes store chain Mothercare for Greece and southeastern Europe, aims to raise up to 20 its Mothercare stores abroad in 2006.

The company plans to open more than three new Mothercare stores in Bulgaria and Romania and up to 15 stores in Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary and Serbia.

Until now, Kloukinas Lappas operates five Mothercare stores in Fyrom, Bulgaria and Romania.

Its Mothercare Romanian stores reported profits in their first year of operations.

Its sales reached 53.2 mln euro in 2005, while its profit for the same period is expected to range between 10 mln and 11 mln euro.

The company plans to pay a dividend of 0.36 euro per share in 2005, almost flat year-on-year.

Kloukinas Lappas shareholders approved a two-to-one share issue through the capitalisation of 4.1 mln euro of its reserves.

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Help Net reports profit

IulianBulandra — 2005-11-22T09:14:21+00:00

The Help Net Farma drug store chain has reported a 25 million euros turnover for the first nine months of the year.
According to Ministry of Finance data, the company registered a turnover of 14 million euros in 2004 and a net profit of 355,000 euros.
The drug store chain increased its number of units from 50 to 80 and the company's investments for this year are estimated at approximately 1.5 million euros.
Isabelle Iacob, general director of Help Net Farma, stated that increase in the number of outlets as well as its turnover had brought maturity to the company.
The total value of the discount offered to clients exceeded one million euros.

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Strong Battle Among Top Medicine Retailer Groups

IulianBulandra — 2005-09-13T12:30:39+00:00

Several pharmacy chains announced ambitious expansion plans and a true battle has started in order to take hold of as large as possible market quotas, ACT Media news agency reports.

Hermes Pharma Company plans to extend its presence into the territory by opening approximately 130 pharmacies till next year-end, starting from the 54 units in 2004.

With more than 120 pharmacies, A&D Pharma Group is focused on sales increase by 80 percent compared to the previous year, when it reached some 50 million euros.

The company intends to further expand its chain to around 180 pharmacies till year-end.

In addition, Help Net Co. have unveiled similar expansion plans, to reach up to 90 units this year and a sales objective 30 million euro worth, double compared to the level recorded last year.

ACT Media news agency reports that the Group that includes Sensiblu is negotiating the acquisition of pharmacies owned by a competitor, Europharm Holding.

At the same time, Eurofarmacia, part of the Lithuanian VP Market Group, gave up its expansion plans on the Romanian market, closing down its already operational pharmacies. Last year, retail sales of pharmaceuticals amounted at 684.7 million euros, with 30.4 percent more as against 2003, while sales through hospitals stood at 275.9 million euros, according to data provided by Cegedim - Pharma & Hospital Report. Medicines bought on the basis of medical prescriptions represented 535.6 million euros in the retail chain, up 34.7 percent and those without prescription brought revenues of 149.1 million euros, up 17 percent. Out of more than 4,500 pharmacies all over the country, less than 20 percent are grouped under the same brand, the remainder being independent.

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