Livraria Nobel, which calls itself the largest chain of bookshops in Brazil, plans to open four new franchises abroad in the first quarter of 2007.
The new units should be opened in Mexico, Angola and Spain. The bookshop already has five shops in Portugal and five in Spain.
According to information disclosed by a spokesperson for the company, perspectives for this year are for Nobel to open five more units in Portugal and Spain, as well as starting negotiations in the United States. In Brazil, the forecast is to open another 30 shops by the end of the year.
Livraria Nobel works in three formats: Nobel Express, Nobel Books and Stationery and Nobel Mega Store, which offers not only books but also CDs, DVDs and stationery.
The bookstore was started by Italian immigrant Claudio Milano in 1943 in São Paulo, in the Brazilian southeast. Initially they published apostilhas, which are typewritten or mimeographed texts used by students in Brazil when books are not available.
The franchise system began in 1992. Now, they have more than 150 shops spread all over the country and overseas.