Page 26 - RusRPTJul23

brothers have never talked to the press the entire three decades of the company’s existence.
Nevertheless, the Russian roots of Mere have not gone unnoticed. Mere’s
stores have been targeted by protestors in several countries. For example,
local media in Latvia has accused the chain of selling Russian goods, which
local retailers refused to carry on principle. In Czechia, protestors have called
for a boycott of the chain. In Belgium, protests by Promote Ukraine activists led
to the denial of permits for store openings. The only store that managed to
open in France closed after just four months, partially due to economic reasons
but also due to the mayor's statement that hosting a Russian economic player
would contradict their efforts to support Ukrainian refugees,
reports.
The Bell
While the ongoing war and sanctions play a role in Mere's slower development
in Europe than initially planned, insiders and experts interviewed by The Bell
believe that the main challenge lies in adapting the model tested in Russia to
the European market. Nevertheless, experts suggest that Svetofor’s format
may find demand in European regions where people's incomes are not
keeping up with inflation and mandatory payments.
26 RUSSIA Country Report July 2023 www.intellinews.com