Local business owner: Romanian consumers are more patriotic after the crisis

“The crisis awoke some sort of patriotism among Romanian consumers, who see the cooperation with Romanian companies as a solution to revive the economy,” said Dragos Paval, president and owner of Romanian group Dedeman, the largest do-it-yourself retailer on the local market, according to local DailyBusiness.ro. Dedeman is one of the most successful Romanian businesses. The company more than doubled its sales from 2008 to 2013, to almost EUR 600 million, while its main competitors, most of them international chains, saw their revenues decline. This helped the company increase its profits, which reached EUR 64 million last year, and continue expansion. Dedeman will open its 40 th store in Romania, in Targu-Jiu, at the end of this week, following a EUR 12 million investment. The company plans to reach 50 stores in the next two years. The company had 6,500 employees at the end of last year. Romanian DIY retailer Dedeman ups sales above initial estimations in 2013 editor@romania-insider.com