Sun, Jul 05 2009
Apparel retailer C&A, which manages some 1000 outlets across Europe, is hiring management staff for the launch of operations in Bulgaria, Dnevnik daily reported on March 12, quoting company sources. However, the first local C&A stores are not expected to roll out before 2010, the paper claimed.
C&A is one of the largest clothes retailers in Europe, managing outlets in Latin America and China as well. Set up in The Netherlands in 1841, its biggest trademarks include Clockwise, Westbury and Your Sixth Sense. In Central and Eastern Europe the company has outlets in Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Turkey and Slovenia.
C&A is part of the Swiss Cofra Group, which deals with real estate, financial services and renewable energy sources, as well.
Several major apparel brands, apart from C&A, have already announced plans to enter the Bulgarian market. The first of their outlets are expected to open for business in 2009, when several new shopping malls are scheduled to be delivered.
Rival fast-fashion retailers like Zara and H&M are expected to take out leases in mall properties under development in Sofia and in some of the regional cities. Greek company Marinopoulos recently announced the signing of a franchise agreement for the Bulgarian market with US apparel maker Gap.
Mobile operator Cosmote Romania agreed the acquisition of smaller local rival Zapp Mobile for 207 million euro on June 30, after months of negotiations.
The intergovernmental agreement for the Nabucco natural gas pipeline will be signed in Ankara on July 13, it emerged on July 3.
Bulgaria has low taxes, low labour costs and a lot of wind – a good combination for any company seeking to develop wind parks.
On June 5 2009, US ambassador Nancy McEldowney launched the first US-Bulgarian partnership dedicated to Information Technology and Innovation.
Bulgarian car parts manufacturers have been affected by the recession, but are optimistic about their future.