Svetofor
IndustryRetail
Founded2009
FounderValentina Shnayder[1]
HeadquartersKrasnoyarsk, Russia
ParentTorgservis
Website

Svetofor ('traffic light' in Russian) is a chain of discount supermarkets headquartered in Krasnoyarsk, Russia.[2] The chain, owned by Torgservis, operates stores in Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and China.[3] As of December 2019 its network comprised approximately 1,400 locations.[4]

History

In November 2017, the chain registered the MERE brand trademark with the European Union Intellectual Property Office,[3][5] and the first store under this branding opened the following year in Snagov, Romania.[6] MERE has since expanded into other European markets including Germany, Belarus, Lithuania and Poland, where it opened its first outlet in Częstochowa in July 2020.[7] In 2021 it planned to open its first stores in the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Austria, Spain and Italy.[2] Launch in Slovakia was planned for 2022.[8] In Greece, they started operating in May 2021, after a one-year delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures taken by the Greek Government to limit the spread of the disease.[9] Today, 4 large supermarkets operate in the cities of Tripoli, Larissa, Corinth and Agrinio.[10] The managing company of the Greek department is called TORG HELLAS IKE and is based in Athens.[11] In 2023, the Russian owners declared their willingness to remain in the Greek market at all costs and proceeded with a large capital increase of their company. The company's goal is 80 stores in Greece with the primary goal of development mainly in Athens and Thessaloniki.[12]

The company's operating model aims to undercut local supermarket prices by around 20-30% by having suppliers deliver directly to stores, keeping staffing levels low and displaying goods directly on the pallets on which they arrive.[2][3]

Controversies

In 2021, MERE was banned from operating in Ukraine due to its connections with Russian secret services.[13]

In March 2022, MERE closed its only UK store, in Preston, due to supplier issues due to the way the company pays for goods and also the political pressure caused by the war in Ukraine.[14][15]

In early April 2022, activists in Poland organized a protest related to the criticism of Mere as a Russian network, in connection with Russia's invasion of Ukraine.[13]

References

  1. ↑ "Torgservis, The Concept of the Month". Global Retail News. February 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Steve Farrell (6 May 2021). "Russian-founded discounter giant gearing up to open four UK stores". The Grocer (thegrocer.co.uk). Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 "Na rynku zadebiutuje dyskont Mere. W Polsce chce mieć 105 sklepów" (in Polish). dlahandlu.pl. 30 July 2018. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  4. ↑ Maxime Delacour (19 June 2020). "Hard discounter Mere enters Lithuania". Institute of Grocery Distribution (retailanalysis.igd.com). Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  5. ↑ "EUTM file information - MERE (017486036)". EUIPO. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  6. ↑ Branislav Pekic (2 August 2018). "Russian Discounter to Expand to Romania". ESM Magazine. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  7. ↑ "Mere w Częstochowie otwarty. To hard dyskont, jakiego wielu nigdy nie widziało" (in Polish). Wirtualna Polska (finanse.wp.pl). 25 July 2020. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  8. ↑ "Ultralacný obchodný reťazec z Ruska mieri na Slovensko. Do boja o zákazníka ide s nízkou cenou". Pravda.sk (in Slovak). 2022-02-15. Retrieved 2022-03-23.
  9. ↑ Χριστοδούλου, Κωστής (2022-11-23). "Mere: Πώς τα πήγαν την πρώτη χρονιά στην Ελλάδα τα ρωσικά σούπερ μάρκετ". PowerGame (in Greek). Retrieved 2023-11-04.
  10. ↑ "Το νέο Ρωσικό σούπερ μάρκετ που ανοίγει στην Τρίπολη δεν έχει καμία σχέση με αυτά που ήξερες". www.anagnostis.org/ (in Greek). Retrieved 2023-11-04.
  11. ↑ "mere.com.gr – ΛΙΑΝΙΚΟ ΕΜΠΟΡΙΟ SUPER MARKET". Retrieved 2023-11-04.
  12. ↑ "Mere: Πήραν παράταση ζωής τα ρωσικά σούπερ μάρκετ στην Ελλάδα". Business Daily (in Greek). 2023-05-23. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
  13. 1 2 Czoik, Tomasz (5 April 2022). "Dwie osoby protestowały w sklepie rosyjskiej sieci Mere. Przypominały o ludobójstwie w Ukrainie". sosnowiec.wyborcza.pl. Retrieved 2022-04-05.
  14. ↑ Aziz, Fatima (2022-03-04). "Russian supermarket Mere closing Preston store after Ukraine invasion". LancsLive. Retrieved 2022-11-27.
  15. ↑ Farrell2022-03-04T11:46:00+00:00, Steve. "Russian discounter Mere pulling out of UK". The Grocer. Retrieved 2022-11-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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