LCR targets 50 Lee Cooper stores by end of 2009

LCR Jeans, the company that holds the licence for 31 Lee Cooper stores locally, wants to open another 19 units by the end of next year, following an almost 3 million-euro investment. "By the end of 2008, we will open between two and four stores in shopping centres such as Cora Esplanada, Fashion House and Arena Grand Berceni, all of which are located in Bucharest, as well as in a mall in Galati. However, the expansion plan extends beyond this, with at least 50 stores expected to operate under the Lee Cooper brand by 2009," Ronen Haliva, manager of LCR Jeans, who holds 45% of the company, told ZF. The Lee Cooper store network is one of the most extensive on the local market and is spread across the entire country, both in big shopping centres and in individual stores. Acc ording to the company management, the ideal area for the optimal functioning of a Lee Cooper store is 150 square metres, with investments per square metre ranging from 800 to 1,000 euros.