RUSH LLC (Dnipro), the owner of the Eva perfume and cosmetics stores chain in Ukraine, plans to open the fourth distribution center in Odesa in 2021, Executive Director Olha Shevchenko has said in an interview with the Investory News publication.
“In 2020, we plan to increase the number of distribution centers to four. Currently, we are looking for a site in Odesa to launch a retail center in 2021,” Shevchenko said.
According to her, by the end of the year, the company also intends to expand the Eva network in Ukraine to 970 stores, as well as open 180 new outlets in 2020. The cost of opening one store is UAH 1-1.5 million, and the payback period is 2-4 years.
“Our plans are to expand the network to 970 stores by the end of the year. These are 210-212 new stores per year. [For 2020,] the plan is the same as it was for the current year – 180 stores. Mostly these will be western regions, where we are not yet represented as widely as in central and southern regions,” the director said, answering a question about plans for next year.
In addition, the retailer intends to launch a pilot store of a new format in the shopping and entertainment center in Dnipro in December 2019, and in 2020 – five more such stores in Kyiv and other cities.
“We have launched a fundamentally new format in test mode, whose working name is Eva Beauty so far. We will pay more attention to beauty categories. But home goods and household chemicals will not be presented there at all. This concept is designed for shopping centers, although it has the right to live in street retail,” Shevchenko added.
The company plans next year to launch its own courier delivery service in Kyiv, as well as increase the number of points of delivery of goods with online shopping.
According to Shevchenko, investments in the development of the Eva network in 2019 amounted to about UAH 400 million, half of which was invested in logistics and the development of e-commerce. At the same time, in 2016-2018, investments in the network amounted to UAH 800 million.
“The main area of investment [next year] will be the development of information technology, e-commerce and logistics,” the director said.
