X5 Group closed the last chain of stores under the Karusel brand in February, the group’s press service said. At the beginning of April, the hypermarket format stopped working completely.
The company recalled that in recent years, X5 has been transforming the hyperpark network, reducing their number. It became known that the Karusel brand stores could stop working in the summer. However, the group later allowed the sale of the network.
According to the CEO of the group, Igor Shekhterman, in recent years, customers have started to prefer convenience stores, discount stores and online shopping. Therefore, X5 Group will redirect investments to more popular formats.
Shekhterman recalled that Karusel hypermarkets were launched 19 years ago. At that time, Russians used to practice shopping trips for future use.
As the president of the group, Ekaterina Lobacheva, told RBC, the transformation was successful. According to her, the last stores in operation gave positive financial results.
As of 2019, X5 operated 91 Karusel stores. During the transformation, some 40 hypermarkets came under the control of the Perekryostok chain and now operate in a supermarket format. Some premises of the former Karusels are used as dark shops in the Vprok.ru online store. Some stores have sold out or closed.
Author:
Natalia Gormaleva
Source: RB
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