Malaysia's leading home improvement retailer, Mr. DIY, is eyeing expansion into the European market, targeting Romania and Bulgaria following its announcement of entering Poland. According to DIY International, after establishing its foothold in Turkey and Spain three years prior, the company now plans to venture into these two Eastern European nations.
Recent data from Termene.ro, a Romanian company database, reveals that Mr. DIY Romania SRL was set up on 28 August 2023, with its headquarters located on Calea Grivitei 84-98 in Bucharest. The firm's primary focus is described as “retail trade in non-specialised stores.” Additionally, records from the Bulgarian commercial register search tool, papagal.bg, show that Mister DIY Bulgaria EOOD (also known as Mr. DIY Bulgaria) was established on 6 December 2023. This entity, a sole proprietorship with limited liability, is situated in Sofia's Sredets district. Its operational domain includes “retail sale in non-specialised stores of various goods”. Mr. DIY Malaysia’s Vice President for Group Strategy, Sathis Manoharen, is listed as the manager.
Manoharen, who spearheads Mr. DIY’s European expansion, is also a director and board member for the company's Bulgarian and Romanian divisions, in addition to similar roles in Turkey, Poland, India, and Vietnam, as indicated on his LinkedIn profile.
This strategic move into the Balkan region aligns with Mr. DIY's broader goal of establishing its presence throughout Eastern Europe. However, this development occurs alongside what seems to be a scaling back of operations in Europe. For instance, Mr. DIY Turkey, straddling Asia and Europe, has shown significant growth, increasing its outlets from 30 at the end of 2022 to 78. In contrast, Spain's expansion has been more modest, growing from 15 to 24 branches within the same timeframe.
Regarding the Polish market, Mr. DIY Malaysia’s Chief Operating Officer, Leo Gan, previously the senior vice president for business development, retail, and warehouse operations, announced in October of the preceding year that the company was exploring Poland as a potential new market.
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