• The biggest bank and the leading chain for equipment signed a contract for national partnership

UniCredit Bulbank opens 22 new offices in the stores of Technopolis throughout the country. As many as 22 ATM machines and 130 POS terminals will be installed on the territory of the hypermarkets with the renouned mark to ensure the comfort of the clients of the two companies.

The opening of the new offices and the provision of bank services for the customers of Technopolis are part of a contract for national partnership and bank service between UniCredit Bulbank and the white goods chain. Pursuant to the agreement the largest bank in the country will provide to the leading white goods chain the full range of products and services in the field of corporate and retail banking.

“For us it is a pleasure to attract Technopolis as a partner because this is the company which shows extremely stable behaviour on a crisis-ridden market”, said Levon Hampartsumian, Chief Executive Officer of UniCredit Bulbank.

“The partnership contract with UniCredit Bulbank is of extreme importance for us and for our clients because it allows is to provide high quality trade service, together with bank services and high class products”, said Todor Belchev, Technopolis’ MB Chairman.

Belchev’s expectations are for doubling the sales of TV sets due to the forthcoming football season – the final of UEFA Champions League and the World Football Cup in the South African Republic. “The spring and summer months typically see strong sales of cameras and refrigerators”, Belchev said.

The observations of Technopolis’ management are for gradual recovery of the credit market. “The bottom was hit in the summer and the autumn of last year in terms of turnover percentage”, said he.

Since 2006 UniCredit Consumer Financing has offered to the clients of Technopolis the possibility to buy on credit. “After 4 years of successful partnership we enjoy strong positions in the stores from the Technopolis chain and will keep our focus on the provision of first-class services.

Despite the challenging economic environment the number of loans we provide through the POS terminals in the stores increases which shows the stability of sales of that chain”, UniCredit Consumer Financing’s CEO Pierre- Yves Guegan said.

About UniCredit Bulbank:

UniCredit Bulbank is a financial partner number 1 of the households and the corporate sector in the country. The Bank closed the year 2009 as a leader on the market in terms of attracted deposits and disbursed loans. UniCredit Bulbank has a total of more than 230 branches in the whole country where above 4,000 employees service more than 1 million customers.

For its activity the Bank has received a number of Bulgarian and international tokens of recognition. The Bank has a short-term credit rating of А-3 and long-term credit rating of ВВВ, awarded by Standard&Poor’s.

 

About Technopolis:

Technopolis is a leading commercial chain for white and black goods and IT equipment, created in 2001. The trade mark is a preferred name in the sector which has turned it into the fastest growing commercial network. “Technopolis” introduced new standards in the consumer culture with the best from the world trade marks such as CANDY, JVC, LG, SONY, PHILIPS, CANON, INDESIT, ARISTON, AEG, ELECTROLUX, ZANUSSI, HOOVER, BEKO, TAURUS, SANG, etc. Every ten seconds a purchase is registered in the hyper markets of the chain, and every second Bulgarian home has a TV set purchased from the chain. Technopolis was twice awarded the international prise SUPERBRANDS in the category “Trade chains and centers”, respectively for 2007 and 2009.

Contacts:

UniCredit Bulbank, Public Relations and Corporate Communications

Victoria Blajeva, tel: 02/9264 993, viki.davidova@unicreditgroup.bg

Ekaterina Ancheva, tel: 02/9264 963, ekaterina.ancheva@unicreditgroup.bg

Technopolis: Public Relations and Marketing Communications Adviser

IPR Consulting ЕООD,

Irina Kaneva, tel. 02/963-20-64, iprconsult@gmail.com