Nine brands plan to enter Ukrainian retail market in early 2015, 12 more by years end

Nine international brands plan to enter the Ukrainian market in spring 2015, another 12 retailers could enter the market by the end of the year, Director of Ukrainian Trade Guild (UTG) Yevhenia Loktionova has said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine.

"We are looking forward to the opening of nine brands in spring 2015. They have not only declared their intention but are at the final stage of signing contracts, opening offices, hiring staff etc. These are the ones that will open for sure. And I hope that by the end of the year we will succeed in bringing in another 12 retailers, presenting well-known fashion brands to the market," she said.

According to her, brands such as H&M (Sweden), Defacto (Turkey), Zara Home, Cortefiel, Violeta (Spain), Converse, Wendy's, Subway (the United States), and MegaIce (Kazakhstan) can be expected to enter the Ukrainian market.

Loktionova noted that brands which planned to leave Ukraine have already done so. According to her, only two of the 14 brands which left Ukraine in 2014 did so because of the situation in the country.

According to the guild, 14 new international brands entered the Ukrainian market in 2014: Pedro del Hierro, Sinsay, Keddo, Vittorio Spernanzoni, Twin Set, Paker, Coffee Shop Company, Paul, Calzedonia, Intimissimi, Prenatal, Vapiano, Peacocks, and Fika.