MERE - Neighbourhood Retailer https://neighbourhoodretailer.com The authoritative voice of the grocery industry in Northern Ireland Fri, 04 Mar 2022 14:22:15 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://neighbourhoodretailer.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/cropped-NR-SIte-Icon-2-32x32.png MERE - Neighbourhood Retailer https://neighbourhoodretailer.com 32 32 178129390 Russian discounter Mere pulling out of UK https://neighbourhoodretailer.com/russian-discounter-mere-pulling-out-of-uk/ Fri, 04 Mar 2022 14:21:27 +0000 https://neighbourhoodretailer.com/?p=20245 Siberian discounter Mere is halting its European expansion plans and pulling out of the UK following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In spring 2021, Mere,

The post Russian discounter Mere pulling out of UK first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

]]> Siberian discounter Mere is halting its European expansion plans and pulling out of the UK following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
In spring 2021, Mere, which operates under the name Svetofor in its own country, announced major expansion plans for its ultra-low price chain in Europe.
Mere said it planned to open hundreds of branches across Europe and secured several locations in Belgium, the UK, Spain and France, only a handful of which opened.
Mere has now told employees and suppliers that it is closing its only UK store in Preston in two weeks’ time, with other planned openings cancelled, and referred to the “political situation” in Ukraine.
The discounter had already struggled to find suppliers as it only buys products if it can sell them 20 to 30% cheaper than Aldi and Lidl. Manufacturers must deliver their products to the shops themselves and are only paid for what is sold.
Mere is also closing its eight stores in Spain, less than a year after entering the market. In France, it was due to open its first shop in Thionville, north of Metz, but the local mayor has refused to grant a permit.

The post Russian discounter Mere pulling out of UK first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

]]> 20245 The Russians are coming – Discounter MERE has plans for 300 UK stores https://neighbourhoodretailer.com/the-russians-are-coming-discounter-mere-has-plans-for-300-uk-stores/ Tue, 15 Jun 2021 10:58:46 +0000 https://neighbourhoodretailer.com/?p=17422 A Russian discounter said to be a third cheaper than Aldi and Lidl is coming to the UK – with 300 stores expected in the

The post The Russians are coming – Discounter MERE has plans for 300 UK stores first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

]]> A Russian discounter said to be a third cheaper than Aldi and Lidl is coming to the UK – with 300 stores expected in the coming years.

The Russian retailer Mere claims to be 30% cheaper than other discount grocers like Lidl and Aldi.

Owned by Svetofor in Sibera, Mere has a ‘no service, no marketing’ policy that allows them to pass savings on to the customer.

There are four stores due to open across the country, the first of which is in Preston, reportedly on the site of a former Nisa.

Although timings have not yet been confirmed, it’s thought that they could open their doors as early as this month. The other shops planned will be in Mold in North Wales, Caldicot in South Wales, and Castleford in West Yorkshire.

No frills

Shoppers can expect warehouse-style no-frills aisles, with 1,200 items and just eight members of staff per Mere shop.

There will be all the usual fresh and frozen products, but suppliers must deliver directly to the 10,000 sq ft. locations themselves (meaning Mere does not need to have excess storage space).

Mere operates in multiple European countries. The discounter is said to be considering sites in Southern Scotland, Devon, Cardiff, Banbury, Selby, Bradford, Grantham, Sheffield, Southampton, Stockport, Kettering, and Neath – although no indication that Northern Ireland is included in the vast expansion plans.

‘Gap in the market’

Mere has said that it is ‘the gap in the market’. “We don’t have any competitors” said a spokesperson.

The watertight business model is ‘no service and no marketing.’ Suppliers deliver direct to the store – not to a warehouse.

The full list of the initial 22 stores include England, Scotland and Wales – but not Northern Ireland.

Dubbed as “Russia’s Lidl”, Svetofor was founded in Siberia in 2009, but it’s opened stores in Europe since 2018 under the name Mere.

Mere is said to compare itself to Costco, but with no membership fee and no in-store service.

Amazon Fresh

Mere will be the latest discounter to arrive on the UK supermarket scene. Earlier this year, Amazon Fresh went head to head with supermarkets in March, opening its first real-life shop in Ealing Broadway, West London.

It will be the first of “several” launched in the capital this year – and there’s no tills to pay at.

OOPS!

Around the same time, another new budget supermarket called OOPS! offered a year’s supply of free nuggets to one customer. With stores in North East England, it is largely a discount frozen food retailer.

Neighbourhood Retailer

Newsletter Sign Up Link > http://eepurl.com/deWOqf

The post The Russians are coming – Discounter MERE has plans for 300 UK stores first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

]]> 17422