Monday, 29th March 2010, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
First Gorenje Studio Opens in Sarajevo
On March 24th, Gorenje opened its first showroom in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The facility, called Gorenje Studio, is located in the centre of Sarajevo and it extends over a total area of 700 square meters to offer the customers the entire range of home products at a single place.
According to Mr. Robert Polšak, head of Gorenje's Sarajevo office, customer response is favourable and most visitors are pleasantly surprised about the Studio's extensive offer that really sets its apart from of other appliance and furniture stores where only a selection of Gorenje products are available. In addition to the comprehensive range of home appliances, including all designer lines, heating and cooling appliances, consumer electronics, and small appliances, Gorenje Studio is also well stocked with kitchen furniture and bathroom tiles and fixtures.
Gorenje already has a smaller retail unit operating within its Sarajevo office building; however, its location is not nearly as attractive and convenient as that of the newly opened Gorenje Studio which is located in the centre of the city, at the renown cultural, fair, sports, and shopping centre Skenderija. Mr. Polšak commented on future plans with regard to Gorenje's own retail units: "By the middle of the next year, we are looking to open two or three more showrooms like the one in Sarajevo, in major cities where consumer purchasing power is concentrated. Thus, our offer and services in the market will be greatly enhanced."
At the end of last year, the offer was further improved d by a call centre which makes Gorenje the first company in the market to introduce such new standards of communication with white goods customers in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the next stage, the call centre will be upgraded to a contact centre that will offer Gorenje customers all information about the offer, in addition to service information.
The opening ceremony included a humanitarian gesture by Gorenje Commerce as it donated EUR 2,000 to the Day-care Centre for Children from the Streets, who make their living by begging. The donation that will support the future work of the Centre was presented to its representative Mrs. Kanita Kulić by the director of Gorenje Commerce, Mr. Robert Polšak.
Gorenje is the leading home appliance brand in Bosnia and Herzegovina with a 50 percent market share that has not been hit by the crisis. Plans for Gorenje's operations in this year are focused on retaining the market share and increasing sales revenues by seven percent.