Zoran Mladenović, Manager of furniture showroom "Kika" – Something for everybody

Zoran Mladenović (Photo: ekapija.com)

During the first week upon its opening, "Kika" center in Belgrade was visited by over 50,000 people, one third of whom bought something in it. As it is already a practice in Serbia, the most expensive set of furniture worth about 10,000 EUR has already found the buyer. There are also articles for those with less money. Of total of 30,000 articles for furnishing a home, 10,000 were offered at discount prices, and that price policy is going to be maintained.

Austrian furniture market chain "Kika" invested 30m EUR and employed 250 people in the retail center at total surface of about 22,600 square meters in Belgrade's settlement Bežanijska Kosa (Partizanske Avijacije Street), which was built by "Imel" group.

Zoran Mladenović, the Manager of the retail center, pointed out in the interview for "eKapija" that everybody can find something in the newly opened center and that it was the first time that such concept - furniture and home furnishing service at one place with broad offer of articles - was applied in Serbia.

Retail center on Bežanijska Kosa is the largest furniture showroom in Serbia. Which new contents does it offer?

- The concept of "Kika" group is nice life and individualized furniture of top quality at good price. For the first time the buyers can choose from several price categories at one place and find what they need and find suitable. Over 30,000 articles, from furniture to textile and equipment for households, are exhibited in the retail space at 11,000 square meters. Various goods for households - from bed linens, household textile and curtains, to lamps - are exhibited on the ground floor, as well as big assortment of dishes, eating utensils and kitchen tools. Kitchens, bedrooms and living rooms of various styles, from modern to classical and traditional ones, are on display on the second and the third floor. Since "Kika" provides full service, its offer also includes numerous articles of individual furniture, baby equipment, rooms for kids of various ages, toys, as well as equipment for bathrooms and lobbies.

Explain us "all at one place" concept of "Kika".

- In addition to broad assortment of furniture, the buyers are also offered advise on how to furnish the home and additional services - from computer-assisted planning, home visit, delivery and installation, to servicing. "Kika" takes care of the individual needs of buyers, so that we produce furniture to order, tailor curtains, etc. In addition, we in the retail center can provide loans for our buyers in a very simple way. All they need to do is take the invoice to the bank window within the center and that is where they can finish all the things that are required for them to get the loan.

"Kika young style" concept had its premiere in Belgrade.

- Of total of 67 locations of "Kika" group, a special part of the center for "Kika young style" concept has been formed in Belgrade for the first time. The home furnishing style for young people is presented in that part of the showroom, and its main characteristics are reduced forms, vivid colors, elements that are easily combined, etc. We take care of the whole ambient and provide ideas for home furnishing.

Which trademarks are available to the buyers in Belgrade?

- German "Hülsta" (living rooms and bedrooms) and "Himolla" (sitting sets), Austrian "Ada" (sitting sets), Dutch "Habufa" (living rooms and sitting sets), "Nolte" and "Nobilia" (kitchens), corpus furniture "Arte M", "Rauch" and "Novart" (Kragujevac), Norwegian "Stokke" (perambulators and baby equipment), Austrian dishes "Fissler" and "Metalac" (Gornji Milanovac), textile products "Esprit", "Joop", "Benetton" and "Dimenzija" (Užice), "Optimo" and "Tempur" mattrasses, etc.

You are currently cooperating with 15 suppliers from Serbia. Do you plan to establish cooperation with some other local partners?

Our manufacturers must be patient and decide if they want to appear as suppliers or manufacturers. Some local manufacturers will enter the system of "Kika" by producing our brands and, thus, become available in all our centers in Europe. Stable network and good relations with local partners represent great advantages, which we have already experienced in the countries like Hungary and Romania.

What are your plans in Serbia?

- Our aims are to fulfill the plans related to the retail center in Belgrade, establish good cooperation with buyers and keep improving our service. These are our primary goals, while expansion of the network in Serbia is not excluded.

Advertising on buildings protected by law

In association with the Ministry of Culture, company "Kika" promoted the exhibition of Paja Jovanović's paintings by projecting high-resolution advertisements on the buildings in Belgrade that are protected by the Law. This specific method of promotion and advertising was seen on the buildings of the National Museum, the Palace of Albania, the Ethnographic Museum.

History of "Kika" group

"Kika/Leiner Group" with total of 67 locations is one of the leading furniture market chains in Europe. "Kika" was founded in 1973 as a "cash and carry" market and it quickly developed into a complete furniture showroom with broad offer of goods and services. It opened 32 showrooms in Austria and started international expansion in 2001.

The focus of expansion of "Kika" was on the countries of central and east Europe. Together with Austrian furniture market chain "Leiner", which was founded in 1910, company "Kika/Leiner" will soon celebrate the 100th anniversary of the experience in selling furniture. The company is currently owned by the fourth generation of a single family, and it has always managed to achieve good results thanks to two key values - tradition and innovations. In 2008/2009, "Kika/Leiner Group" registered total turnover of 1.265 billion EUR.