VRG implements the news at Westfield Mokotów

W. KRUK is launching its first store in Poland under the Rolex brand's newest concept.

Wólczanka and Vistula increase square footage to accommodate growing assortment.

In March, two revised stores of VRG Group brands will launch at Westfield Mokotów. In the nearly four times bigger W. KRUK will feature the newest Rolex brand concept for the first time in Poland. Wólczanka is launching a large-format store and a Wólczanka Butik specializing in shirts. In order to accommodate the growing women's collection, the Vistula store will also grow to about 240 sqm later this half-year (opening is planned for June). Thus, the space occupied by VRG Group stores in Westfield Mokotow will expand by nearly 300 sqm, allowing for better display of the latest collections.

As the company's Board of Directors declares, the changes, which Westfield Mokotów customers will soon be able to notice, are part of the Group's retail space management strategy, which is strongly focused on the criterion of efficiency and sales profitability.

- We are cautious in the development of the chain, adjusting the appetite for new stores to market circumstances. This year, we want to increase retail space by about 4 percent. This will be done mainly as a result of the development of the W. KRUK jewelry store chain and increasing the square footage of clothing brand stores - says Janusz Płocica, VRG S.A. CEO. - In view of the uncertain economic situation, we take care to manage our retail space wisely. Through a rational approach to the openings, wise management of the already available outlets and careful selection of key locations, we strive to achieve satisfactory offline sales results, despite weakening consumer demand - he adds.

The only Rolex brand concept in Poland

W.KRUK will enter the spring-summer season with a strong accent. The brand's new store in Westfield Mokotów will open after renovations as W. KRUK Rolex Boutique. It is the first boutique in Poland and one of the few in Europe designed and built according to Rolex's newest furniture concept. The format is currently found only in Switzerland, France and Turkey.

The new W.KRUK store will launch on March 25 and will focus on premium offers. In addition to Rolex watches, for which W.KRUK is the exclusive distributor in Poland, customers will also find the largest Cartier shop-in-shop in the country, which is a mini-boutique located inside a large format. The Tudor brand will also be presented in an analogous shop-in-shop concept. W.KRUK Rolex Boutique will be the largest Tudor outlet in Poland. In total, on 177 sqm of store space, the W.KRUK brand will present prestigious watch brands (Cartier, Rolex, Tudor and Hublot) and luxury jewelry from selected global manufactures including: Marco Bicego, Pasquale Bruni, Recarlo, Birks and Gucci. Customers will find the rest of the jeweler's offerings, original jewelry collections, as well as the more affordable Picky Picka collection, at the second W.KRUK brand store in the mall.

Versatility and specialization

Wólczanka will also expand its presence in Galeria Mokotów, opening two extremely different concepts in the spring. The new addition is a large, 139 sqm Wólczanka store, which will offer customers a wide range of the brand's assortment. The store's space is designed to make it as easy as possible for customers to purchase the offer. The store is divided into women's and men's sections, with separate areas for knitwear, outerwear and lower garments. A distinctive element of the interior design is a large LED screen inside the store, which displays the brand's current campaigns.

What's also new is Wólczanka's second concept, specializing exclusively in Wólczanka Butik shirts. Customers will find it in the location where the brand has so far offered Lambert brand shirts. As part of the portfolio clean-up, the best quality shirts for men and women will be sold here under the Wólczanka Premium brand and as part of the Wólczanka main line. As Marta Fryzowska, VRG Group's vice president in charge of clothing segment development, explains, the Group wants to test at this point the concept of simultaneous operation of two store concepts in one shopping center with the offer of shirts, which have been an important part of the DNA of Wólczanka's offer for years. If sales results are satisfactory, Wólczanka Boutique may also appear in other locations over time.

- Westfield Mokotów is an important address in our network, due to the very demanding but active customers visiting this center. We count on them to receive our new concepts well. The fact that we are simultaneously opening stores offering the most luxurious premium jewelry, a specialty, shirt boutique, as well as large-format Vistula and Wólczanka stores, perfectly illustrates our approach to building a diversified offer - says Marta Fryzowska, VRG Group Vice President responsible for the development of the clothing segment.

At the end of the fourth quarter of 2022, VRG's network consisted of 534 stores, with a total area of 52,000 sqm. By the end of 2023, VRG Group plans to operate on a total retail area of 54,273 sqm, 4 percent more than last year. Unlike in previous years, increases are planned not only in the jewelry segment, but also in apparel. In total, VRG plans to spend about PLN 42 million on modernizing its brand stores.

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VRG S.A. (formerly Vistula Group S.A.) is a company listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange S.A. since 1993. VRG Group S.A. specializes in the design and distribution of high-quality fashion collections for men and women and jewelry. It owns highly recognizable trademarks in five major lines: Vistula, Bytom, Wólczanka, Deni Cler Milano and W.KRUK. The VRG S.A. Group focuses on brand management, apparel and jewelry design and the development of its own sales network in both main segments (apparel and jewelry). Since 2000, the cornerstone of VRG S.A.'s strategy has been to realize the vision of a "House of Brands" and a distributor in the retail market.