Jolidon charges Europe

Increasingly more Romanian companies with a strong brand on the domestic market are thinking about expanding abroad, creating retail networks in the neighbouring countries and other western states.
Cluj-based Jolidon, a company making underwear and bathing suits, has opened 16 stores in the biggest Romanian cities, but also in Hungary, Italy and France.
“We are planning to ‘conquer’ the foreign markets this year. We have opened our second Budapest store this month, with the third to be dedicated in March, and there will be more shops as we continue to expand,” Marius Racasan, the company’s marketing manager told Ziarul Financiar.
The Cluj-based company also opened a subsidiary in France, aimed at medium-income consumers. Jolidon France was launched at the end of January, when the company also attended the “Salon International de la Lingerie.”
Jolidon aims to increase the number of stores abroad to ten, but company officials tie these plans to the market evolution.
Jolidon was established in 1993. Gabriel CA„srlig (35) is the company’s general manager and sole shareholder. Since day one, the company has focused on creating and developing a strong brand, avoiding the lohn system that was applied by most of the companies operating in the garments industry.
Turnover exceeded $5 million in 2001, up 98% since 2000. The number of employees went up to over 800 in 2002, from 509 in 2001.
“We aim to keep the turnover growth pace this year. We shall export more, while the sales on the domestic market will also post a slight increase,” Marius Racasan added.
Jolidon launched three collections for 2003-2004 at the “Salon International de la Lingerie”: She, Fior and Prelude.
There are many lingerie companies in Romania, but most of them are working under the lohn system. For instance, Pasmatex Conf International works for Austria’s Triumph.