The Trade Representation of the Russian Federation in Serbia confirmed to us that the information about the imminent arrival of the Russian discount retail chain “Mere” on the Serbian market is correct, Tatjana Matic, Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications, told Politika.
According to her, the facilities are already being prepared and stores should be opened in Batajnica, Krusevac and Subotica by mid-January, during February in Kraljevo and Vrsac, and a total of 15 stores in Serbia are planned to open by the end of April and the beginning of May.
The fact that one of the largest discount chains in Russia is coming to Serbia is just another confirmation that the retail market in Serbia is one of the most promising in the region, and the arrival of another large retailer will increase competition in the retail market and affect the modernization of the trade network.
“Mere” is a Russian retail chain that operates on the local market under the “Svetofor” brand and is one of the largest discount chains in Russia. As the “Retail Serbia” portal recently reported, the Russian associate in Serbia bought the first locations throughout Serbia where she plans to officially start her business.
According to previously published data, this company allegedly plans to open at least 100 facilities on our market, and that the prices will be 20% lower than the average. “Mere” is, by the way, an associate of the Russian “Torgservis” group, founded in 2009, which currently operates in more than 800 locations throughout Russia under the “Svetofor” brand.
The official website of this company states that there are more than a thousand points of sale in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Germany, Poland and China. When it comes to the assortment, they state that they offer more than a thousand products and that, in addition to food, they also offer small household appliances, white goods, tools… Prices are, according to this site, 20 to 30 percent lower than average thanks to, as they say, direct cooperation with manufacturers, minimum trade margin and strict cost control.
– We use only rented premises for shops, we conclude lease agreements for a period of five years, and we are interested in locations in settlements with 10,000 or more inhabitants – it is stated on the official website of this company, Politika reports.
