A supermarket chain labelled the "Russian Lidl" plans to open two stores in Wales.
Founded in Siberia in 2009, Svetofor - which trades under the name Mere in Europe - claims its prices will shave 30% those seen in other budget shops like Lidl and Aldi.
The company's first UK store will open in Preston next month with a further two stores planned for Wales in Mold and Caldicot. The Russian chain has 3,200 stores internationally and opened its first European Mere store in 2018. It now trades in Germany - where rival Aldi started - and Poland, Romania, Lithuania, Latvia and Ukraine.
But now reports say its first UK store will open next month in Preston in a former Nisa branch. Another store is reported to be planned for Castleford in the north of England.
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Speaking to trade magazine The Grocer, Pavels Antonovs said Mere prices would undercut even the cheapest supermarkets. Mr Antonovs said: “We are the gap in the market. We don’t have any competitors. Our model is no service and no marketing.”
Mere stores are expected to double up as warehouses, with images from other sites across Europe showing items displayed on palettes.
Suppliers are also expected to deliver straight to the shops, which will each be about 10,000 sq ft. As well as fresh food, Mere shops across Europe also have chilled and frozen ranges.
Of course we don't know yet how its prices will compare to the likes of Aldi and Lidl - but the former was just named cheapest supermarket for a basket of 20 essential items by Which? magazine. The report found a trolley of 20 essential items would have cost shoppers £22.64 at Aldi compared to £30.89 at Waitrose. Lidl wasn't far behind Aldi in terms of cheapest, coming in at just 12p different for the same goods.
Each Mere store in the UK will have around 1,200 items and just eight staff.
