Praktiker may open four to six stores in Ukraine from 2011

Managing Director of home improvements retailer Praktiker in Ukraine, Michael Trapp, said that the company is not ruling out the possibility of opening four to six stores in Ukraine starting from 2011. He added that a decision over the future development of the store network in Ukraine will be taken in the next five to six months. The outlets would be opened in all Ukrainian cities with a population of at least 1 million. The Kiev store, launched this week, will be the only one to open in 2010. Further expansion will possibly take place from 2011 and would bring the long term total stores in the country to 8-10. Asked whether the company plans to revive its plan to open stores in Simferopol and Odesa, Oleksandr Zabara, Director of Praktiker Ukraine's Department of Development, confirmed that the company was not ruling out the possibility taking up these plans again. In autumn 2009, Praktiker suspended the developments in Simferopol and Odesa.