Praktiker to expand further in Eastern Europe

The DIY chain is set to step into the Ukrainian market next week and its next target on the agenda is Albania.

Despite the negative impact of the government's austerity measures, which considerably dented consumers' propensity to buy and their wallets have also become very light, Praktiker company still expects to achieve its 2007 objectives in Hungary.
The company indents to battle the unfavourable environment by introducing new services, reshuffling the line of products offered and set more favourable prices.
Praktiker sees potentials in the segment of household commodities and construction materials, and so it plans to focus in large cities in the countryside.
In addition to the store in Donezk, Praktiker also plans to open another three locations in Romania, Bulgaria and Greece in the last two months of the current year.

With 15 new stores and planned investments totalling around EUR 100 million, the international expansion of the Praktiker Group reached a new record high in 2007.