‘Auchan supermarkets are set up in places where the company can actually bring something new onto the local market. There are normally two ways our company does this: we either acquire the local stores (as in Moscow) or build our own commercial centre (in Yekaterinburg),’ Sales Headquarters Director of Auchan chain stores Jeanne Pierre explained.

‘I don’t believe big regional companies are interested in cooperation; the businesses that would benefit most would be fairly small ones,’ M. Germaine noted.

‘The first Auchan supermarket in Yekaterinburg will be located on the grounds of IKEA in Moskovskiy Rd. The opening will take place anywhere between October and December 2006, depending on the speed of construction.’

‘We think we’ll set up one store for now and wait for the customer response. The company’s future strategy will be based on the turnover and profits of this particular store. We generally open 1 to 4 stores in Russia annually, although the particular projects depend on the availability of sites. Thus, only one point of sale was opened in 2005,’ M. Germaine said.