The first shop from the French service-chain Lagardere opened doors in the northern Bulgarian town of Vratsa on August 18. The investment amounts to 25 000 euro, Lagardere Services Bulgaria category manager Alexandrina Georgieva told The Sofia Echo on August 25.

The shop in the Kaufland discount store was part of the French group's Inmedio chain, offering a variety of local and international press, books, tobacco products, drinks, food supply, souvenirs, vouchers for mobile phones.

Five more Inmedio stores will open in Bulgaria in 2008, with two of them in Kaufland Rousse, one in Kaufland Montana and one more in Mall Stara Zagora, Georgieva said. A sixth location in Varna could also be opened before the end of the year, she said. Lagardere Services total investment in Bulgaria is expected to reach 130 000 euro for 2008.

Lagardere Services is a subsidiary of the French company Lagardère Service, one of the leading travel retail and press distribution firms, operating in 20 countries in Europe, North America, Asia and the Pacific, which claims to run the largest international network of media, duty free and specialty stores at 4000 shops worldwide.

The group's brand names are Inmedio, Relay, Aelia and Virgin. Stores in Bulgaria will be part of the Inmedio and Relay chains, Georgieva said. While Inmedio shops are in commercial centres and business buildings, Relay stores are usually in travel retail points, such as airports, train and bus stations, she said.

The Inmedio store in Kaufland Vratsa is the first step of Lagardere Services Bulgaria, which intends to launch more than 100 stores in transportation hubs, trade centres and commercial galleries throughout the country over the next few years.