Thongs are looking up for lingerie producer Samanta as it plans own outlets

"We are in the phase of commercial negotiations and for the time being we cannot assess the value of the investment," said Patrycja Zbylut from Samanta. Currently, the company's products are available in almost 70 of its partners' multi-brand outlets. The firm intends to further develop this network to boost the figure to 100 outlets by 2007. "30% of the lingerie is exported to Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Russia and Ukraine. Next year we will try to sell to Spain and Italy," said Zbylut. By the end of 2010 Samanta intends to have set up retail outlets in 10 European capital cities. "We are thinking of, among others, London, Moscow, Prague, Paris, Berlin," said Zbylut. These stores will be franchised. (Puls Biznesu, p. 13) M.M.