Shoe companies eye new markets

The home market proves to be too small for Polish companies. Producers plan new investments to expand their businesses abroad. Wiesław Wojas, the CEO of the WSE-listed Wojas S.A, aims to grow by 10-15% in 2015, mainly by increasing presence on foreign markets. “We have outlets in neighbor countries to the south. In Slovakia, there are 10 shops, while in the Czech Republic only 2, but we plan to increase it to 12-15. If we are able to find good locations we hope to open them this year,” Wojas was quoted as saying by Polish daily Puls Biznesu. The company also plans to enter Hungary, Romania and Germany. Its competitor, WSE-listed CCC S.A, wants to increase retail space by 25% (at the end of 2013 it accounted for 300,000 sqm). New stores will be opened in Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Slovakia and the Baltic countries. In Germany alone the company plans to open about 25 outlets annually in the coming years.