The retailer Auchan plans to open 10-14 new hypermarkets in Russia next year, the general director of Auchan Russia, Jean-Pierre Germain, said during a press conference in Moscow on November,18.
Agreements have already been signed concerning the building of 3 ‘classic’ Auchan hypermarkets, 3 Auchan City hypermarkets, and 4 Our Rainbow (Nasha Raduga) stores, Germain said.
A company’s priority is continual development and the opening of 10 new hypermarkets per year, Auchan Russia President Francois Colombie said.
Auchan will grow its chain by 23 new stores in all, this year, factoring in the Real hypermarkets it has acquired. In late November 2012 the French company announced it was buying the Real hypermarkets from Germany’s Metro Group. The deal was worth 1.1 billion Euro and involved outlets in Russia, Poland, Romania, and Ukraine. The rebranding of all 16 Real hypermarkets in Russia has been completed.
The French company has been a presence in Russia since 2002. It now has 53 Auchan hypermarkets, 18 Auchan City hypermarkets, 4 Our Rainbow hypermarkets, and 4 Auchan Garden (Auchan Sad) stores.