German fashion chain C&A celebrated its 100 years on home soil with beautiful financial results. Turnover rose to 6.59 billion euro (+4.6%) and grew in almost all of the 19 countries C&A is active in. The growth was biggest in Holland (+5.3%), where the 2010 turnover was 514 million euro.
Big in Belgium
Despite a growth of only 0.6% in Belgium, the waffle county still has a bigger share in C&A’s turnover than its northerly neighbours (519 million euro) – which is 10 times more than the chain’s biggest growth market: their webshop.
In 2010, C&A opened 80 new stores, lifting the total to 1490. All these stores result in an European market share of 5.4% (up from 5.1% in 2009), causing the chain to comment that they “keep growing in a shrinking apparel market”.
New stores, new concept, new logo
To ensure further growth, C&A designed a new store concept which they tested last year in Cologne, Germany. In the next two years, 160 new stores should be opened, bringing C&A’s total to 1650 by 2013. For this expansion, the chain has already allotted 650 million euro. Adding to that the new corporate design and new logo, the ancient “Clemens and August” is ready to face the future in full confidence.
