recession romanian style

Frequently, I noticed that we are an irregular market. We price luxury like an oriental country, nothing like the laid back Europeans.

This is why Gucci and Armani opened stores here right in the midst of recession. Probably following the success of the Louis Vuitton store, this sold more in one year than the Hungarian franchise in three years.

Hell, they even threw in a special edition bag!

I’m glad, I hope one day Calea Victoriei would look the way it should look: high end stores and boutiques as opposed to the mainstream malls. It’s only fair to have a shopping street like every civilized city in the world. Our own Fifth Avenue or Regent Street!

On the other hand, the most awaited brand since Coca Cola and McDonalds arrived with a LOUD BANG!

The largest media splurge I’ve seen in years and worthwhile to the fullest. The stores are crowded like there’s no tomorrow every day of the week and all the time, not only at rush hours or weekends.

Soon the other mid and low labels would have to revise their price policies whether they choose to survive.

Because once it’s clear you can have an entire outfit for less than 100 euros, why bother to go next door to Zara, Mango, Promod, Bershka and so on?

In the beginning, there would still be a few conservative, brand believers hard to switch. But I give them weeks to be seduced, not years!

Especially as most of the others have a boring selection of oh-so-last-year nude and navy, while H&M brought bright colors and no end diversity of rags, accessories of all sorts and – most important – a splendid price policy.

How was the Romanian woman, man and child able to survive and NOT walk around naked until last week, it’s incomprehensible!

No, seriously, I have at least 10 friends that suddenly craved for a new outfit from nowhere else! Like there are no other stores in Bucharest any longer. Or there never were.

It’s unbelievable how gullible we stayed 20 years after communism. So easy to manipulate. Loyalty is not our strongest feature. Any shiny trinket can turn us around in a flash!

Especially when you come out, all guns blazing: regular advertising, a proper running website, nice personnel and good locations.  

Don’t we have ANY ego left? Like ponder for one moment how offensive it is that we are almost the last country in Europe graced by their presence???

They manufacture items in Romania since forever but they never considered this market as an opportunity.

I shall not be seduced until they bring the good stuff here – like the Lanvin for H&M, the lacy gorgeous underwear I used to buy from Sweden over a decade ago and so on. As long as is just rags for the poor, keep your fancy stores and shove them!

I shall still be faithful to my exclusive shoes boutique, to my irregular sources of clothing, not necessary pricy, but not the same as everyone else. I like to be unique, after all this is how I built my personal brand!