[size=55:11f2mzjt]Sofia echo 31August 2010

[size=85:11f2mzjt]UK apparel chain Next opens first Bulgarian store on September 1 2010

British clothing chain Next will take the wraps off its first Bulgarian store, in Sofia’s The Mall shopping centre, on September 1 2010.

"
This is our first Bulgarian shop and it will sell women’s, men’s and children’s wear. We opted for the retail centre on Tsarigradsko Shausse boulevard because we’re looking for locations people like to visit and it has good infrastructure,"
Gagik Bagramyan, manager of the new Next store, told Dnevnik.

He said that the British chain plans to open more Bulgarian units, including a home furnishing store.

"
The next one will also be in Sofia but we’re looking for suitable locations in other major cities,"
Bagramyan without elaborating.

The Next chain is a descendant of a tailoring firm established in 1864 and currently comprises 500 stores in the UK and Ireland, and another 180 in Europe, Russia, Asia and Japan.

For the first half of 2010, the company reported a profit that was 3.1 per cent higher than in H1 2009.

However, it expects demand on the clothing market will remain weak up to the end of 2010 and consumer behaviour will tend to be cautious. There for full-year sales are seen in the range -1.5 per cent to +1.5 per cent.

Meanwhile, the Okaidi kid’s clothing store opens its store in The Mall in September. Esprit, Pink Woman and Colin’s will also launch their stores in the shopping centres.

My word Will the Bulgarian's be able to afford to shop at Next - I certainly can't - Of course that would be because I am a poor church mouse Or maybe I am as tight as a ducks beak

Oddy

Possibly not their best idea in todays economic climate.I guess BG'S won't know the brand either.Might well as be George from Asda.So many clothing shops struggling over here.

I agree with Oddball they wouldn't be able to afford Next clothes, plus they wouldn't have heard of them either. Only their own designer labels would be for them, except for the high flyer people in the cities.

It always amazes me when I read about new places opening in Bulgaria why is it always the most expensive shops that most Bulgarians won't be able to shop in surely there is a need for shops that will sell their products to the people and by that I mean the majority of the people which as we all know most of them have a very small budget for clothing, but I'm sure these big stores know what they are doing because it costs millions for them to open stores

sarah

True Sarah, then I suppose that they have to drop their prices in line with cost of living in Bulgaria - Guess we will all be going to Next in BG than. Actually thinking about it McDonalds is a fraction of the price in BG compare to here in the UK.

Oddy