The Russian discount chain Mere had big plans for Germany and Western Europe.
But the expansion comes to a standstill.
Munich - There has been a new player in the food industry in Germany since 2019: the Russian discounter Mere (also known as "Russen-Aldi") opened its first branch in Leipzig.
The Russian parent company Torgservis, which claims to operate more than 900 discount stores in Eastern Europe and Asia, had big plans: 100 stores should open in Germany.
But expansion seems to be stalling.
According to the company's website, there are only five branches in Germany, all in eastern Germany.
"Russen-Aldi": Expansion of Mere in Germany comes to a standstill
Right from the start there were problems with the first store in Leipzig, so the branch had to close quite early due to delivery problems.
As early as 2019, retail experts do not believe in the long-term success of the Russian discount chain.
"That can't be economically viable," said Martin Fassnacht from the WHU business school to
Spiegel Online
.
And it is becoming apparent that he is right.
The opening of a new Mere discounter in the Franconian Altenkundstadt was canceled at the last second in September, as reported by the
Immobilien-Zeitung
.
The paper apparently assumes that further German expansion is on hold for the time being.
However, this is denied by Mere's German parent company, TS Markt.
Mere: Discounter also has problems in Belgium
But not only in Germany is the advance of the “Russen-Aldi” coming to a standstill.
The Belgian journal
Gondola
reports
citing sources close to the Russian supermarket chain of problems in the Benelux.
Mere has to lower its ambitions and will not open a single branch in Belgium this year.
Mere had actually announced that it would open ten stores this year.
The search for suppliers is a particular problem.
Mere probably demanded strict conditions from his partners, which is easier to find in Eastern Europe than here.
"Russen-Aldi" Mere is also not making headway in France and Great Britain
According to the
food
newspaper, there are also difficulties in France and Great Britain.
In the French media it is said that the "Russen-Aldi" has not yet taken a step to open its branches.
There should have been three locations by October.
However, Mere did not even submit the necessary applications, reports
Le Parisien
.
In Great Britain, according to the
food
newspaper, the first store in Preston opened its doors in August as announced, but the opening of two more locations in Wales was postponed without giving any reason.
(md)
