Murali Store: Benjamin Moore paints have generated sales of over EUR 1 million since taking over the distribution license

Murali Store, the official importer of Benjamin Moore premium paints in Romania and one of the largest distributors of paints on the local market, recorded a turnover of 2.6 million euros in 2022, up 10% compared to the previous year. For 2023, the company estimates that it will exceed the figure of 3 million euros, of which almost half will be generated by the products of the American brand Benjamin Moore, the world leader in the segment of exclusive paints.

Murali Store, a business founded in Timișoara by the Boie and Dobriceanu family, took over the license to distribute Benjamin Moore premium paints in January 2022, being the only distributor of these products on the Romanian market. Between January 2022 and May 2023, Benjamin Moore products generated approximately 1 million euros of the company’s total revenue.

“Although signing the direct contract with Benjamin Moore USA was a big challenge, the most challenging was to redefine the standards of the outlet market because, as far as exclusive products are concerned, the Romanian market is a young one, with a consumer behavior directed towards a disproportionate value for money. But in the last year, the market has become more open and oriented towards the quality of products for home improvement projects, which has led to an accelerated interest in exclusive paints. Thus, in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022, the demand for Benjamin Moore premium paints increased by 50%”, says Adriana Dobriceanu, co-founder and CEO of Murali Store.

Benjamin Moore paints, nicknamed the “Bentley of paints” in America, are generally preferred for furnishing luxury apartments, houses, or showrooms, the average order being 2,000 euros. Among the most sought-after Benjamin Moore products are Aura paints, Regal, Scuff-X, Ceiling Paint, and Ultra Spec.

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Pandemic-boosted premium paint sales: up 30%

Moreover, according to Murali Store, the period of the pandemic favored the interior design market, especially the segment of luxury products, a trend that is increasing. Thus, in the last year, the demand for premium paints increased by 30% compared to 2021, also increasing the value of projects applying these paints. The greatest interest in premium paints is manifested in the big cities in Romania, such as Bucharest, Timișoara, Cluj, Iași, and Constanta.

“The events of recent years, respectively those in the current context, definitely leave their mark on the furnishing market, because we are inevitably talking about manufacturers facing a lack of raw materials, we are talking about delays in delivery terms or unavailable products. Prices have also increased in the area of ​​paints and finishes, compared to the beginning of 2022, but what is interesting is that the forecasts related to luxury interiors are optimistic. So, in 2023, we expect an increase of up to 30% in this segment, the luxury interior design market being stable and, despite inflation, in continuous development and growth”, adds Adriana Dobriceanu, co-founder and CEO of Murali Store.

At the same time, Murali Store representatives estimate a 22% increase in turnover, to over 3 million euros, for 2023, with most of the business being generated by furnishing projects in the B2C segment.

In the last year, the demand also increased from the business segment, especially from HoReCa, where the main projects decorated with Murali Store paints were Casa Mița Biciclista in Bucharest, where Benjamin Moore paints were used for the renovation of the salons, and Raionul de Pește Floreasca.

“Being a growing openness to exclusive products and unique furnishing concepts, but also an increasingly pronounced tendency on the part of Romanians to turn to specialists to transform their homes into true works of art, we decided to invest in expanding business, we are going to open the largest showroom on the profile market in Romania this summer, being the second after the one in Timișoara. We are also continuing to consolidate the business throughout the country, through the existing partnerships with distributors in Cluj, Iași, Galați, Râmnicu Vâlcea, Bacău, Sibiu, Baia Mare, Brașov, and Constanța, aiming to expand the distributor network. Therefore, I can say that we are very optimistic about how the future presents itself, both for the Murali Store business and the interior design industry in Romania”, concludes Adriana Dobriceanu, co-founder and CEO of Murali Store.