Distribution is perhaps the biggest difference Hilfiger found when entering Europe. Because the company succeeded in the United States by first going into department stores, it put an early European emphasis on them as well, which led to its entry into such leading chains as Galeries Lafayette in France and El Corte Ingles in Spain. Hilfiger's CEO has described the U.S. market as one of concentration (sending a lot to department stores) and the European market as one of fragmentation (sending small amounts to small stores that carry select pieces), European operational costs are about three times those in the United States because of this more fragmented retail and wholesale system, Hilfiger now has about 5,000 wholesale accounts in Europe--much more than in the United States. On top of that, the margins at the final consumer level in Europe run from 50 to 100 percent higher than at home, with the result that prices for Hilfiger merchandise are much higher in Europe.