Romanian stationery firm Austral hopes to reach a turnover of EUR 10 million this year, after posting EUR 6.7 million in the first three quarters of the year, a growth of 3 percent on the same period in 2011.

The company currently has a 7 percent share of the office stationery market in Romania, which it estimated at some EUR 170 million a year. The market is fragmented, according to Emil Deliu, general manager of Austral (in picture). Around 40 percent of the market is shared by seven companies, while there are many companies with a market share under 1 percent. Romanian clients tend to choose lower quality products at lower prices and cut their stationery expenses, even though it usually is around 0.5 percent of their turnovers, on average.

Austral Trade was set up 19 years ago and runs subsidiaries in 17 cities in Romania and the Republic of Moldova. With 160 employees, a fleet of 90 cars, the company had a turnover of EUR 9.4 million in 2011.

Corina Chirileasa, corina@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Austral)