Apranga APB

Company event



The first ZARA store in the Baltic States is opening in Tallinn (Estonia)



On 17 August, the largest Lithuanian retail trader in clothes Apranga JTC is

opening the first ZARA store in the Baltic States in the supermarket Viru Keskus

located in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. The total floor space of the store

makes up 1700 sq. m., including 1400 sq. m. of trading floor space. Still in the

current year, Apranga is going to open ZARA stores in Riga and Vilnius under

franchise contract. Investment of Apranga JTC in three ZARA projects in the

Baltics is going to amount to LTL 17 million.



The global clothing store chain ZARA is owned by INDITEX group, one of the world

leaders in the manufacture and trade of wearing apparel.



The sales of INDITEX group in 2003 totalled EUR 4 599 m, and its net profit

stood at EUR 447 m. INDITEX group pursues the policy of 8 independent trade

networks of clothes: ZARA, Kiddy’s Class, Pull & Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka,

Stradivarius, Oysho and Zara Home, and owns over 2000 shops in 50 countries. The

sales of the store chain ZARA account for 70% of the sales of INDITEX group. On

the one hand, with the opening of ZARA stores in the Baltic States, INDITEX

group is expanding its commercial activity in North Europe, where INDITEX stores

have already opened their doors in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Finland.

On the other hand, by opening stores in the Baltic States INDITEX group

increases the number of the new EU member states where such stores have already

been operating. Hungary is planned to be the last country among such member

states, which is also going to have the store opened this year. Then the INDITEX

group will have stores in 25 EU member states.





The development of the largest Lithuanian retail trader in clothes Apranga will

gather a more rapid pace due to the agreements to enhance ZARA chain in the

Baltics.  ZARA in Tallinn is the 34th store of Apranga JTC and the first one in

Estonia.  In the beginning of 2003, Apranga JTC crossed the boundaries of local

market and opened the first store in Latvian capital Riga. Apranga JTC is going

to operate 9 stores in Riga by the end of 2004.



ZARA in Tallinn is already the seventh project of the company implemented in

2004. By the end of the year Apranga is expecting to open 6 more stores. The

joint stock trading company Apranga is anticipating that its turnover will reach

LTL 138, exceeding the last year’s level by 45%.





Saulius Bačauskas

Finance and Economics Director

(+370 5) 239 08 43