[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.
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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.
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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.