The new Russian discount chain MERE has announced in a letter that they will soon start operations in Hungary. In three years, they want to open 200 stores and achieve a turnover of EUR 700 million in the country.
The Russian retail chain MERE (known in Russia as Svetofor) was founded in 2009 and has since been present in at least 20 countries, including several European countries like Romania and Serbia, among others, Index reports.
New Russian discount chain
The Russian MERE discount chain. Photo: mere.ws
Haszon.hu reported that they recently received an e-mail dated February in which the representatives of the chain wrote:
“We are pleased to announce that the European MERE supermarket network will now also be available in Hungary.”
According to haszon.hu, the letter was sent to potential business partners and outlined that 20 stores would be opened in Budapest and the agglomeration “in the coming year”. In the next three years, they plan to open 200 stores in the country, with an annual turnover of EUR 700 million.
MERE’s offers
The Russian MERE discount chain. Photo: mere.ws
The portal wrote that MERE, like Aldi or Lidl, is a so-called hard discount chain. This means that it offers its products at extremely reduced prices. As they wrote, their shops are “rather spartan”, because they offer their products to customers in boxes and on pallets.
In their email, they promise to offer prices 20% lower than the market average thanks to direct cooperation with manufacturers, strict cost control and minimal trade mark-ups.
MERE’s products
The Russian MERE discount chain. Photo: mere.ws
As they wrote, they are mainly expecting customers who are family people with average to below-average incomes, who plan their purchases and visit the store 1-2 times a week. The range of products available in the store will consist of around 1,500 items: food, beverages, industrial goods and household chemicals, including private-label products.
As haszon.hu mentions, the Russian discount chain has been trying to expand for years. However, their attempts were halted by the war. In 2022, for example, they planned to open their first stores in Slovakia, but the invasion put paid to that plan.
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- The Russian MERE discount chain. Photo: mere.ws
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- The Russian MERE discount chain. Photo: mere.ws
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