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Business Review Issue 8
March 8-14, 2010

BR Awards Business champions of 2009

Business Review Issue 7
March 1-7, 2010

IMF shows romania the money The International Monetary Fund has approved the second and third loan installments under the stand-by agreement, which will result in an additional EUR 2.5 billion payment for Romania, but the country will need to commit to more reforms to get the rest of the cash

Business Review Issue 6
February 22-28, 2010

Fund injects new life into cmu Investment fund Advent International has bought an 80 percent stake in private medical services supplier Centrul Medical Unirea for EUR 40 million. This is the largest transaction involving medical services since the start of the year

Business Review Issue 5
february 15-21, 2010

The quiet investor Alexander Hergan, who has invested in real estate developer Avrig 35 and set up several businesses in the US while being involved in the Sibiu stock exchange, came under the spotlight at a rare meeting with the press for the recent launch of the developer’s Pallady retail project

Business Review, Issue 4
February 8-14, 2010

The great job hunt - More than 700,000 Romanians are looking for a new job and the number is set to increase this year, fueling demand for training services that allow the recently unemployed to move to a new career in domains where work is still available

Business Review Issue 3
February 1-7, 2010

Hotels redouble expansion Despite low occupancy rates in 2009, several existing hotel chains will expand with new brands across the country, such as Hilton with Doubletree at Oradea, while new names are still planning market entry in the next two years

Business Review Issue 2
January 25-31, 2010

Proceed with caution Lower consumption levels, the lack of available financing and fewer suitable real estate projects have led FMCG retailers to scale back store openings this year, while some retailers are reluctant to detail any plans at all

Business Review Issue 1
January 18-24, 2010

The beginning of the year brought two deals on a market which didn’t see much M&A action last year: cable operator RCS & RDS just bought competitor Airbites, while Slovakian Soitron took over local Datanet System.

Business Review Issue 45
Dec 14-20, 2009

Lights go out on 2009 As the first full year of recession draws to a close, Business Review gets in the festive mood with an overview of how the luxury segment has held up and some ideas for the perfect stocking fillers that are bound to generate some Christmas cheer

Business Review Issue 44
Dec 7-13, 2009

M&A moves kept in check The credit freeze, a lack of confidence in the local market and worsening economic indicators have made potential buyers cautious about Romania, which was mirrored in the low level of M&As this year

Business Review Issue 43
Nov 30-Dec 6, 2009

Growth is on the cards The local card market has been luckier than other industries in avoiding the worst of the impact of the economic crisis. Catalin Cretu, country manager for Romania at Visa Europe, says growth opportunities for the sector are huge as 87 percent of card transactions are still cash withdrawals

Business Review Issue 42
Nov 23-29, 2009

Romania attracted USD 13.3 billion in FDI last year, but 2009 has seen a significant fall as the global economic downturn began to be felt locally as well. Business Review surveys the local scene and finds out the major investors’ plans.

Business Review Issue 41
Nov 16-22, 2009

Distressed delays Potential buyers may have to wait a little longer to acquire distressed real estate assets, as banks have not yet declared foreclosures, although many contracts have been breached and market values have fallen below loan values

Business Review Issue 40
Nov 9-15, 2009

Talking the talk An economic council gathering representatives of the local business community and state institutions could be created to debate legislative initiatives before their enforcement, says presidential advisor Alexandra Gatej. She was present at the BR’s French Business Forum last week, where she addressed topics of interest to the business community

Business Review Issue 39
Nov 2-8, 2009

Windows reloaded Calin Tatomir, GM of Microsoft Romania, is leading the company through a busy period: the local roll-out of Windows 7 in early November and a move to new headquarters in early 2010

Business Review Issue 38
2009

Banking Blues Banks active on the Romanian market have put the brakes on their expansion plans and even reduced the number of their branches, with all these changes having a knock-on effect on bank employees’ financial benefits and job security

Business Review Issue 37
Oct 19-25, 2009

Infrastructure influx With a big chunk of the state spending pledged for infrastructure, Bucharest is one of the main targets for projects aiming to alleviate the traffic congestion in the city. Business Review looks at the main ongoing infrastructure projects and the construction companies benefiting from them

Business Review Issue 36
October 13-18

Fight or flight

Business Review Issue 35
Oct 5-11, 2009

TICKET TO RIDE With its hectic traffic Bucharest is not the ideal city for cyclists, but as the trend has started to catch on in Romania there is now a choice of outlets to rent or buy bikes. Business Review saddles up and shows you the options for cyclists in the capital

Business Review Issue 34
Sept 28-Oct 4, 2009

All shook up Like the rest of the economy, Bucharest’s club scene has been shaken of late. But despite falling crowds and takings, club owners are still opening new units, while trying to offer more than just clubbing. For Dan Mason, joint owner of Coyote Cafe and Jukebox Club, the recipe was a combination of live music, restaurant and terrace

Business Review Issue 33
2009

Tapping into the household market Household consumers only make up 10 percent of watercooler companies’ portfolios, but their strategy is to focus more on this segment, as corporate spending has dried up

Business Review Issue 32
Sept 14-20, 2009

Putting on a brave face - Richard Matalon, GM of L'Oreal Romania, says the local cosmetics market, now worth EUR 550 million, could grow by 10 percent this year, at a lower pace than last year

Business Review Issue 31
Sept 7-13, 2009

Book Value Publishing houses have seen more demand for business books than ever from both recession-fearing readers and firms that prefer to pay for texts than costlier training courses

Business Review Issue 30
2009

Private medical services checkup shows local dominance and plenty of room for growth, RON braces itself for an uncertain future, Interview- Petr Sichrovsky: We need to stop playing defensively, The Material Girl gets Bucharest Into the Groove, Sun Plaza pushes back opening to spring next year, City Mall worth half its acquisition price on lowering rent revenues, Echo Investments brings new Polish retailer to Korona shopping mall

Business Review Issue 29
August 3-9 2009

Slow off the mark - Franklin Templeton’s Mark Mobius is waiting for the state to officially confirm the company as manager of the EUR 3 billion Property Fund, but the process seems to be stalling

Business Review Issue 28
2009

Going swimmingly - The Bucharest heat is driving customers to refreshing locations and filling the pockets of swimming pools and water park owners, many of whom are still making money on investments carried out in previous years

Business Review Issue 27
July 20-26 2009

Cafes brew up summer profit

Business Review Issue 26
July 13-19, 2009

No fun for funds - Long-term investment funds in Romanian real estate are either downsizing local portfolios or focusing on selective assets, while posting negative financial results and falls in stock exchange values; Government gives new Bucharest metro lines project another try, EU sets lower roaming tariffs and encourages more competition, Redevco and EMCT end partnership in local Romanian Retail Development, Life’s no beach for tour operators as the cost-conscious holiday at home