Unicasa changes strategy and will have own shops

The year 2012 has not been easy for Mobile Unicasa, Bento Gonçalves (Rio Grande do Sul), which had affected performance by less than expected economic growth, increase in costs and in breach of shopkeepers and closing outlets. Now, the company is about to live a new challenge. Will be opening stores of its more traditional brand, Dell Anno.
The project starts this April with a focus on the market, which should be open six units by the end of the year. Another store will be opened in Manaus, Amazonas. The first two stores in the city of São Paulo will be in the neighborhood of Morumbi and in Home Shopping Center.
The investor relations officer, Paulo Junqueira, says that the intention is to experience the retail operation and have more contact with the end customer, in 28 years of existence the company only manufactured furniture and left the provision of service to partners.
Asked if the own retail operation tends to grow, he replied that "depending on the success," can extend to 10 or 15 shops, "no more than this".
The Unicasa closed last year with 952 stores, 66 more than in the previous year. A brand New, created in 2005 and one of the main stakes of the company's growth, accumulated in the year 80 new stores. But Dell Anno and Favorite brands had 14 shops in reduction exercise.
The company admitted that the increase in defaults of retailers contributed to the closing of "relevant number" of units. Without revealing numbers, the commercial Director, Thiago Baisch, reported that delinquencies grew 50% in 2012.
For 2013, the plan is to open 79 shops, 35 stores being your brand new House, New 30 and Dell's 14 year, which includes the seven. The intention is to have revenues like the 2011, the best in the history of the company.
The directors said in Conference call with market analysts that the year began better in points of sale, but the reaction at the plant takes longer.
The actions launched at BM & Unicasa FBovespa last year and last week released the results of the fourth quarter.
Its net profit had fall of 31.5% from October to December, to $ 10.23 million, in comparison with the same period of the previous year. Net revenues declined 6%, to R $ 75,56 million. The net revenue of the year was r $ 279 million, 5.2% less than in 2011.