Swedish retailer H&M will open its 13th store in Romania on May 3, in the Electroputere Parc Craiova shopping center. The new store, on some 1,600 sqm, follows the opening of another in the Atrium Center Arad earlier in April. H&M will continue with shops in Palas Iaşi, Promenada Brăila and Iulius Mall Suceava.

The rapid expansion has come hard on the heels of H&M's local market entry in spring last year. At end-2011, H&M had 11 stores in Romania.

H&M sold EUR 14.3 million worth of clothing and fashion items in the first three months of this year in Romania. Sales per store averaged at EUR 1.3 million, comparable to those in H&M’s home country Sweden, where it runs 173 stores. H&M's sales last year in Romania stood at EUR 37.2 million.

editor@romania-insider.com