Lenta, (LSE, MOEX: LNTA) one of the largest retail chains in Russia, is pleased to announce the opening of 11 new stores acquired during the purchase of the Kesko food retail business in Russia (“KFR”), previously operating under the K-Ruoka brand.
10 hypermarkets and one supermarket are opening today in Saint-Petersburg and the Leningrad region, now operating under the Lenta brand.
The total selling space of new Lenta stores is 40,0231sq.m, of which 39,657 sq.m is owned and 2,366 sq.m is rented. In terms of size and layout, the stores are compatible with existing Lenta compact and supercompact hypermarket formats, and all of the store locations are strategically complementary to Lenta’s existing stores in Saint-Petersburg and the Leningrad region. All stores are opened 24 hours, 7 days a week.
These new openings bring the total number of Lenta stores to 180 hypermarkets in 77 cities across Russia and 44 supermarkets in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Lenta is the largest hypermarket chain in Russia (in terms of selling space) and the country’s fifth largest retail chain (in terms of 2015 sales). The Company was founded in 1993 in St. Petersburg. Lenta operates 180 hypermarkets in 77 cities across Russia and 44 supermarkets in Moscow and St. Petersburg, with a total of approximately 1,089,165 sq.m of selling space. The average Lenta hypermarket store has selling space of approximately 5,800 sq.m. The average Lenta supermarket store has selling space of approximately 1,000 sq.m. The Company operates seven owned distribution centres.
The Company’s price-led hypermarket formats are differentiated in terms of their promotion and pricing strategies as well as their local product assortment. The Company employed approximately 34,134 people as of 30 June 20162.