Mr. Bricolage arrived in Novi Sad – French market chains plans to open third hypermarket in Belgrade

(Saša Igić, Jean Francois Boucher, Milen Hristov)

French hypermarket chain Mr. Bricolage opened its second "do-it-yourself" retail facility in Serbia last night (June 22, 2010) in Novi Sad. The first hypermarket of the kind was opened in Nis. Company Brico Spec, which operates within French-Bulgarian Doverie Brico, announced that Mr.Bricolage would open another three hypermarkets in Serbia in the following period, the first of which would, most probably, be opened in Belgrade. As it was announced earlier, about 40 million euros are planned to be invested in these hypermarkets and the one in Novi Sad.

The newly opened Mr. Bricolage hypermarket in Vojvode Stepe Boulevard, at the surface of about 2,000 square meters, has 35 employees, and it offers 20,000 articles for house and garden to the citizens of Novi Sad and the surroundings.

- By opening Mr.Bricolage facility in Novi Sad, the first on the territory of Vojvodina, we have achieved the promised growth and development rate that we announced in December 2009. Our plans for the market of Serbia are very ambitious, so that we will not stop here, but open another three facilities in next few years - said Milen Hristov, the Director General of Brico Spec.

In addition to rich assortment of products for house and garden, Mr. Bricolage also offers its clients a new concept and business philosophy based on the offer of various products and ideas for repairs and decoration.

"That concept is present in the world for a long time and, over the last few years, it has started getting a new dimension that makes it possible for customers to choose the works they want to carry out by themselves, not only to save some money, but also to satisfy their needs for creative work and for making something new and different", it is written in the company's statement.

The first facility from French chain Mr. Bricolage, worth about 9 million euros, was opened on December 8, 2009, in Nis, at 5,800 square meters, and it has 75 employees.

Doverie Brico has a ten-year franchising contract with French mother company Mr. Bricolage.

Market chain Mr.Bricolage operates through the network of 705 "do-it-yourself" hypermarkets and employs about 11,000 people all around the world.

The hypermarket in Novi Sad was ceremoniously opened in the presence of the ambassadors of France and Bulgaria to Serbia, Jean-Francois Terral and Georgi Dimitrov, respectively, Mr. Bricolage CEO Jean Francois Boucher, Brico Spec CEO Milen Hristov, and Novi Sad Deputy Mayor Saša Igić.