Watch and accessory producer Fossil and fashion retailer COS will open their first stores in Romania.

American watch and accessory designer and retailer Fossil will also open its first shop in Romania, in Bucharest’s AFI Palace Cotroceni mall. The shop sells watches, jewelry, sunglasses as well as leather accessories such as purses and wallets.

Fossil has been selling its products in Romania through multi-brand stores, but this is its first own store on the local market. Three other new names have opened their first stores in Romania in AFI Palace Cotroceni this year, respectively Tezenis, New Era, and Tally Weijl, according to the mall’s representatives.

COS, a premium fashion brand owned by Swedish group H&M, will also open its first store in Romania in a historic building on Calea Victoriei. The store will have two levels and will cover a total surface of 900 sqm.

It is located close to the Radisson blu and Athenee Palace Hilton five-star hotels, which is one of the most attractive areas in Bucharest for luxury fashion brands, according to real estate consultancy firm Colliers. Other fashion brands such as Gucci, Burberry, Max Mara, Furla, Musette, and Anthony Morato, have stores in this area.

COS is one of the most important new entries on the local market this year. This is H&M’s second brand and has over 150 stores in 20 countries around the world. H&M entered the Romanian market in spring 2011 and currently has 42 stores in the country. Its sales went up by about 40% in Romania, last year, reaching EUR 193 million.

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editor@romania-insider.com