Cacharel enters the Polish market

Cacharel, an upscale French fashion brand known in Poland mainly for its personal-care products and fragrances, has opened its first boutique in Warsaw. It joins other name- brand stores Armani and Guess, which also debuted in Poland this summer. The first Cacharel store, located in the Klif shopping center, offers a wide variety of upscale clothing and accessories such as bags, shoes and sunglasses for women.

"Next year we would like to open two more stores and, over the course of five years, Cacharel will be available in 11 boutiques around the country," said Diana Zaboklicka, president of the managing board of the Deni Cler Group, Cacharel's exclusive distributor in Poland. "We are already looking for prominent locations in Warsaw and considering opening two more stores here," Zaboklicka added.

W. Kruk, which operates the Deni Cler franchise in Poland, currently has 27 Deni Cler stores and reports it achieves steady y-o-y growth. It is planning to list the brand on the Warsaw Stock Exchange by the end of 2008. With the proceeds from the IPO, the firm wants to open 13-15 new Deni Cler stores in the next five years and, as well, to develop the Cacharel brand.

"We are also currently in negotiations with representatives of a few other up-market fashion brands [to represent them in Poland]," added Zaboklicka.

According to Małgorzata Machnicka, head retail analyst at PMR Publications, the big Polish cities, and especially Warsaw, will soon see the debut of other high-class fashion names. "The problem is that it will become more difficult to find appropriate, prominent locations for such high-class brands," said Machnicka.