Ficosota Syntez (FS) acquired the assets and brands of the Ukraine-based company UPP – specialized in pads manufacture and holding 8-9 per cent of the Ukraine market. This is the first step of the FS’s long-term plan for expanding company’s presence at the Ukrainian market. FS expects to register sales Ukraine of USD 20 mln this year.
Source: Company information (17.04.2006)

Ficosota-Syntez, the Bulgarian maker of household cleaners, body care and laundry products, has bought the assets and the Angels brand of Ukrainian producer of feminine protection products UPP, Dnevnik learned from a company executive. UPP controls 8-9% of the Ukrainian market and the balance sheet value of its assets is $5.24 mln, said Ilina Racheva, head of the household cleaners division of the Bulgarian company. Ficosota-Syntez acquired machinery, equipment and stocks of finished goods but none of UPP's buildings or outstanding liabilities, said Racheva. The buyer will continue to market the UPP products in Ukraine under the popular Angels brand. The UPP deal is part of Ficosota's long-term plan for further penetration of the Ukrainian market. 'We are already in talks to buy another 2 companies for household care products in Ukraine. The results from the negotiations will become known within 2 months,' said the company official. Ficosota-Syntez operates 3 factories in Shumen for the production of soap, feminine sanitary pads and laundry detergents. The company owns controlling shares in 2 Ukrainian makers of liquid home cleaners. Ficosota-Syntez, which posted a turnover of 75 mln levs in 2005, holds 35-40% of the Bulgarian market for home care products.
Source: Dnevnik (25.04.2006)

Developments in the detergent market surprised analysts unpleasantly. Lots of the were expecting, less than a year ago, that it would be stable and mark significant growth. Sales volume grew indeed, but at the cost of the prices. Five companies hold over 50% of the detergent sales in the country. Of them, only one is domestic, while the rest are daughter companies of global leaders. Ficosota Syntez LTD, Procter & Gamble-Bulgaria SPLTD, Hayat Bulgaria Chemical LTD, Unilever Bulgaria SPLTD, and Henkel-Bulgaria SPLTD are the key players, which make the rules. Only two companies produce parts of their assortment in the country. The pace of market growth in the sector underwent major changes in the last few years. The analysts expect that it will slow and calm down in the couple of years to come. The reason would be that it has entered the so called mature phase. The growth since last year is only 3%. Whereas the sales volume has grown, the prices have dropped seriously. Experts comment that this is a key sign of the slowing down of the market. Sales data for 2003 marked a stable growth of 7%. Naturally, the situation then was not the same and the detergent market was denoted as badly developed, and such markets grow quickly. About 54% of the sales then were attributed to laundry detergents, whereas the other major group sold was that of washing detergents. These categories are considered – both now and always – first necessity stocks. The low development of the sector gave good grounds for the entering of new products, little known or never before sold. Fabric Softeners Currently, fabric softeners, which were one of those new stocks until recently, hold a tenth of the laundry detergent market and show greatest growth rates for the past year. Data from a study of TNS BBSS Gallup about the use of housewife goods about the third quarter of 2004 showed that softener sales exhibit a 17% growth rate in comparison with the previous year. The growth of sales for the branch overall has grown 7%, whereas the sales of laundry and cleansing detergents have grown only 0.9%. Despite the introduction of new goods with better qualities and the intensified advertising activity, the products that sell most remain the laundry detergents and the dish-washing detergents.
Source: Cash (25.08.2006)