Russian discount grocery chain Mere is set to open 300 stores in the UK over the next eight to ten years, according to sources originally reported by The Grocer.

Mere, which trades as Svetoforin in Russia, claims its prices will be up to 30 per cent lower than other discount supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl.

The company, founded in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia in 2009, now has 3,200 stores globally.

Mere has been operating in Europe since 2018, and has stores in Germany, Poland, Romania, Lithuania, Latvia, and Ukraine.

Mere has also announced plans to launch in Italy, Spain, Greece, Bulgaria, and the US.

The UK stores will be 10,000 square feet and have just eight workers according to the sources.

The roll-out will begin with the opening of four UK stores over the rest of 2020 in Preston, Castleford, and the Welsh towns Caldicot and Mold.

The chain will offer a range of about 1,200 essential products according to the sources.

The Preston store is set to open in July, a delay from the initially scheduled launch date of June.

The market share of discount grocery chains is set to increase from 12.8 per cent in 2019 to 14.6 per cent in 2022, according to statistics from analyst house IDG.

Share Story: