Russian discounter chain Mere plans to open ten stores in Belgium this year, as it continues its expansion across Europe.
The deep discount chain, which trades under the Svetofor banner in Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, has launched a Belgian-focused website, merebelgium.com, on which it stated that it has had a presence in Belgium since last year.
It said that it is planning to develop its operations in the country 'according to the requests and needs of customers', and has pledged to offer both food and non-food items 'at the lowest prices on the market'.
Mere's Belgian headquarters is located in Ixelles, southeast of Brussels.
Mere currently operates more than 2,000 supermarkets across Europe, and has had a presence in the European Union since 2018, with stores in countries such as Romania, Germany, Poland, Serbia, Lithuania and Latvia.
UK Entry
Earlier this month, the group said that it was eyeing up potential sites across the UK, with trade title The Grocer reporting that its first outlet is set to open in Preston, in the north of the country, in June, followed by outlets in Castleford, Caldicot and Mold.
On its UK website, it has called on property owners and landlords in the UK to get in touch with the business, saying 'After a quick review of your offer and our confirmed interest, we will arrange a meeting with you, at your location, at any suitable time, anywhere in the UK.'
Mere's operating model promises 'no-frills' discount retailing, with each store featuring around 1,200 SKUs of essential goods. No 'premium' products are included in its range, while prices are said to be between 20% and 30% lower than other discounters.
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. For more Retail news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
