Sophia, one of the leading Romanian brands of curtains, draperies and custom decorations, with 30 franchise stores in the country and the USA, enters the Spanish market. The Romanian company focuses on developing its network of franchises and micro-franchises in the Balearic islands of Mallorca and Ibiza, but also in Barcelona, through the diaspora, in the context of a high potential of the HoReCa and residential real estate segments in these areas.
The entry into the Spanish market is supported by The Confident Group, an independent integrated communication cluster, which offers strategic communication consulting to Romanian companies and franchises that want to expand in Barcelona and the Balearic Islands.
Founded in Iasi in 2004, Sophia has constantly expanded in several regions of the country, reaching 30 own and franchise stores in key cities. The company also has a franchise in the US, in Miami, and continues its international development in Europe.
Currently, Sophia offers two business concepts - the Sophia franchise and micro-franchise, respectively.
In addition to the possibility of franchising, which involves opening a brick-and-mortar store under the Sophia Romania brand, in the fall of 2023, the Romanian company launched a new line of business - micro-franchising. With an investment of 5000 euros, architects, designers, and interior design enthusiasts can become partners without opening a physical store. They get a complete set of fabric samples and need a customized machine with the Sophia brand.
"Entering a new country is important for developing the company and the Sophia brand. Spain has a culture closer to Romania’s and a market with high potential in hospitality and real estate development. In the early stage, we enter the Spanish market through a franchise with a range of products suited to the minimalist style and consumption behavior of Spaniards and expats. Our focus is especially on sales to HoReCa, and Mallorca, Ibiza, and Barcelona have a high potential in this segment. Still, we also address interior designers for the real estate segment and final consumers", declares Anamaria Georgescu, founder of Sophia.
The expansion in Spain represents a strategic opportunity for the company, given the continued development of the HoReCa and residential real estate and rental sectors and the consequent increased demand for high-quality products and services in interior decoration.
"We are excited to facilitate the entry of Romanian and regional companies and franchises into such a dynamic and promising market as Spain. Our focus and expertise are mainly directed towards Barcelona and the Balearic Islands. We believe these two destinations are a gateway to the European market and a launching pad in the West. We have the necessary know-how resources to support companies in reaching their maximum potential and expanding their influence in a competitive and cosmopolitan economic environment," says Mara Gojgar, founder of The Confident Group.
An important step in the decision to enter the Spanish market was the presence of Anamaria Georgescu and Mara Gojgar at the Repatriot conference held during the economic mission in Barcelona and the Balearic Islands organized by the Romanian Embassy in Spain.
This economic mission represented an opportunity to present the franchising solutions that Sophia is launching for Romanians in the diaspora, based on the expertise of a Sophia franchise in Miami, USA. As part of the economic mission, Anamaria Georgescu participated in productive meetings with consuls, mayors, and other influential personalities. The discussions focused on promoting and supporting the economic mission of Romanian entrepreneurs, both from Spain and Romania. This initiative aims to strengthen commercial ties and increase the visibility of Romanian businesses in the Spanish market.
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SOPHIA
Sophia offers a diverse range of collectible curtains and drapes, pillowcases, quilts, blankets, bed rails, tablecloths, linens, fastening systems - rails and galleries, decorative objects, magnets, canvases and decorative flowers, but also wooden or wrought iron furniture. The textile decorations are made to order, in the three creative workshops, so that each Sophia customer benefits from customized solutions for his windows.
Sophia has sold interior decoration products for over 20,000 private homes, over 300 hotels and guesthouses, including the Marriott Hotel in Bucharest, the Ibis Hotel in Bucharest, the Pleiada Hotel in Iași, the Golden Tulip Hotel in Bucharest and the Păltiniș Hotel, and over 50 of restaurants in Romania. At the same time, Sophia was also present in the decoration of some impressive spaces due to their age and grandeur, including the Vasile Alecsandri National Theater in Iasi, the Memorial Palace "Al. I. Cuza" from Ruginoasa, the Unirii Museum in Iasi, the Mihail Kogălniceanu Museum in Iasi, the Petru Poni Museum in Iasi. International projects include Château Les Carrasses, castle with wine domain in Languedoc, South of France, Chateau Saint Pierre De Serjac, hotel in Puissalicon, France, Les Roches Blanches hotel in Cassis, France.
Currently, Sophia has a nationwide network of 30 stores and franchises, in Bucharest, Ploiesti, Alba Iulia, Botoșani, Constanța, Râmnicu Vâlcea, Sibiu, Cluj, Oradea, Baia Mare, Buzău, Suceava, Iasi, Bacău , Comănesti, Roman, Vaslui, Pașcani, Brăila, Vatra Dornei, Târgu Jiu, Pitesti and Focșani. The US franchise is located in Hallandale Beach, Miami, Florida and has been enjoying success for more than 2 years.
THE CONFIDENT GROUP
Present in Bucharest and Barcelona, The Confident Group is a marketing communication cluster made up of companies with expertise in Romania and Spain: Confident Agency - Marketing Communications and VENUS FIVE - Visual production services - photo, video, podcast.
The Confident Group offers communication consultancy and video production for key industries - tech & innovation, real estate, ecommerce, retail & FMCG, automotive & mobility, pharma & medcomms.
Confident Agency has won several awards for Tech PR and Brand PR campaigns in the PR Award competition, and in 2020, the agency received the Consultancy of the Year distinction. In 2024 Confident received the trophy for Innovation Communication in the Smart City Industry Awards.
The Confident Group portfolio includes brands such as AVIS, Bucharest Mall Vitan & Plaza Romania, CBRE, Roche Diagnostics, Mitsubishi, Mobexpert, NOTINO, Regus, VTEX, XIAOMI, UP Romania, Vantage Towers.
* This is a press release.
