Ina Center shuts Unirea Shopping Center perfumery after nine years of business

Company Ina-Privilege, owned by German group Marinnaud-Ina, which manages perfumery chain Ina Center and Privilege, has shut down the 250 square metre store it has held for the past nine years on the ground floor of Unirea Shopping Center in Bucharest.

The leadership of Ina-Privilege has not commented on the departure, yet inside sources claim that "there will be no further shutdowns."

If two-three years ago Ina Center was the largest perfumery in the Unirea area, with B&B Collection as the only competitor of selective products, the past year has seen a rise in competition following the arrival of the German brand Douglas.

In May 2009, Douglas also took over a 250 square metre store on the ground floor of Unirea Shopping Center, previously occupied by Sensiblu drugstore and cosmetics shop Body Shop, which have subsequently relocated.

Ina-Privilege owns ten Ina Center stores in Bucharest and 14 in the provinces, while its Privilege brand exists in eight units in the capital and in 21 beyond, with the majority found in malls and in the Carrefour and Selgros shopping centres.

"It's not about a store relocation, Ina Center has simply closed down its branch in Unirea," said inside sources from the store. In 2008, just Ina International itself had a turnover of EUR 9.8 million, with a 5% growth from the EUR 9.3 million in 2007, according to figures on the Ministry of Finance website.

Alongside Ina International, Sephora chain stores, Madison perfumeries and Beautik Haute Parfumerie also operate on the premium and luxury cosmetics market.

Eugen Bartha, Ina International general director, declared at the beginning of 2008 that selective products will amount to 8 % of the total value of the cosmetics industry, reaching a figure of EUR 70 million.

As for the three subcategories of selective products which Ina International supplies on the local market, its range of perfumes represents its most significant sales, followed by make-up and personal care products.