British group Kingfisher, which bought the 15 Bricostore shops in Romania last year, will open the first shops re-branded as Brico Depot on March 14, according to Romanian media.

The retailer recently started a promotional campaign, with a teaser announcing a 'revolution on the do-it-yourself and home design' front, under the slogan Depocratia.

The store re-branding started out with two shops in Bucharest, at Orhideea and Pantelimon, one near Carrefour, and the other near a Cora shop. Remodeling the two units under the Brico Depot would thus be a pilot project for the rest of the chain.

Kingfisher bought the 15 Bricostore shops in Romania from French group Bresson, in a deal estimated at some EUR 75 million last year.

Four of the stores are in Bucharest and most are located within retail parks alongside retailers such as Auchan and Cora. The group believes there is a “strong DIY culture” among Romanians and states that the local market has trebled in size since 2005 to value some EUR 1 billion in 2011. Bricostore Romania recorded sales of EUR 131 million in 2012 and EBITDA of EUR 5 million, according to Kingfisher group.

Along with the suggestions of future expansion, Kingfisher refers to the apparent success of the Brico Dépôt brand in France and Spain, where the stores are a common sight in retail parks.

editor@romania-insider.com