“We are maintaining our expansion plans for 2009. We will open three stores, in Calarasi, Drobeta-Turnu Severin, and Deva. For each store we will recruit some 130 people,” said Bricostore officials, who estimate an upward business trend, adding that the effects of the economic crisis have not yet become visible.
Praktiker, leader on the DIY market, is also developing expansion plans, and has scheduled five new stores for 2009. The company has 400 vacancies and an investment budget of €40-50 million.
According to players in the field, construction material distributors will be affected in 2009 by the 35 percent slowdown of residential projects and more than 50 percent of industrial projects. Major companies operating on the local construction material market, valuated in 2008 at €4.5-5 billion, half of which belongs to the DIY market, include Bricostore, Praktiker, bauMax, Hornbach, Mr. Bricolage, OBI, and the Arabesque, Ambient, and Dedeman local networks.
