The EVA chain of perfume and cosmetics stores opened 59 new stores and increased its turnover by 40% in 2023 compared to 2022, the company’s press service reports.
“While in 2022, the company’s efforts were more focused on maintaining its business, 2023 was a year of development for it. We increased the turnover in LFL stores by 40% compared to 2022. At the end of the year, we had about the same number of customers as in pre-war 2021, and lost 6.5% in transactions compared to it. These results were very difficult for us. But together with the whole country, we have gained a lot of experience – we have learned how to live in war and, even in such conditions, to move forward whenever possible,” said Olga Shevchenko, Executive Director of RUSH LLC (EVA stores and EVA.UA online store).
In 2023, the company opened 59 new outlets, mostly in the Women’s Energy design introduced at the end of last year. As of December 31, the chain had 1061 operating stores. Of these, 50 were Women’s Energy stores. In September, the company introduced a Skin Health Center with a range of dermatocosmetics from leading global brands in a shop-in-shop format. By the end of the year, two such outlets were operating in Dnipro and Kyiv. In December, the EVA Beauty store was tested in Kyiv’s Respublika Park shopping center.
“The first month of its operation exceeded our expectations. However, it is too early to discuss the results. The store is operating in test mode. We are still making improvements to it, and it should be the way we intended it to be by the end of the first half of the year,” Shevchenko said.
The company plans to open about 60 more stores in 2024. The planned investments in this area amount to about UAH 200 million.
In addition, in 2023, EVA launched six new retail outlets. Thus, the company’s private label portfolio includes 58 brands. This is more than 5000 SKUs in almost all categories represented in the chain’s assortment. In 2024, the company added beauty gadgets, professional gel polishes, and aroma diffusers to its private label portfolio.
In total, about 110 million units of private label products were sold during the year. The share of private label in the company’s total sales is 33.9% in physical terms and 22.8% in monetary terms.
To improve efficiency, EVA invests heavily in logistics development, including the construction and modernization of warehouse facilities. In Lviv, a new 9 thousand square meters warehouse for e-commerce is being built next to the existing warehouse. The area of the existing warehouses in Brovary and Lviv is being expanded by introducing mezzanines. An e-commerce hub was launched in Dnipro in September.
“We simplify and automate warehouse processes as much as possible, which speeds up the flow of orders through the supply chain,” said Olga Shevchenko.
She added that this is facilitated by our own selection system. In addition, the offline warehouses have implemented the Put to light system, which allows them to avoid using picking terminals, speed up the adaptation of new employees and increase productivity.
In 2024, the system is planned to be partially implemented in e-com warehouses. EVA also plans to automate storage systems: introduce AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) and AS/RS (Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems).
In 2023, the project to build a logistics hub in Odesa resumed after a pause. The procurement of the necessary materials and structures, as well as other preparatory work, is ongoing. The area of the first stage of the Odesa hub should be 20 thousand square meters. Construction work will continue in 2025-2026.
Preliminary investments in logistics infrastructure in 2024 may amount to up to UAH 1.3 billion.
RUSH LLC, which manages the EVA network, was founded in 2002. It owns 52 private labels (PL), which are represented by household goods, perfumes, cosmetics, jewelry, personal care products, accessories, underwear, and children’s products. In 2022, the share of FMCG sales in physical terms was 30.6%. The company employs about 13.4 thousand people.
