French retailer Carrefour has made its first move in the Russian market with the opening of a hypermarket in the Moscow-based Filion shopping mall.
Occupying two floors and a sales area of around 8,000m2, with 58 counters and 450 staff members, the store has the capacity to offer a wide variety of quality goods to customers, Carrefour said in a statement.
'As the second world and most internationalised retailer, the Carrefour Group is now developing its activities in a new country,' said Thierry Garnier, member of the group's executive committee. 'Starting our operations in Russia is an important milestone for the company. The Carrefour Group believes that the Russian retail market has an outstanding long-term potential and considers it to be one of the strategic priorities for the company's international development.'
The hypermarket is the first of three slated for launch in Russia this year, with Carrefour also eyeing projects in Krasnodar's Galaxy shopping mall and in the centre of Lipetsk.
All three outlets are expected to make 'substantial contributions' to the Russian economy, according to the group, through an emphasis on locally-sourced products and the hiring of local residents.
'We are very happy to start our business operations in Russia where we will follow our client-oriented principles: offering quality products at low price, great value and high level of services to Muscovites,' said Jacobo Caller, general director of Carrefour in Russia. 'We believe that the opening of the first Carrefour store in Moscow is an important step for Carrefour's development in Russia and will have a positive impact on the economic development of the city.'
