A SUPERMARKET chain dubbed “Russia’s Lidl” has revealed a further 22 locations it wants to open shops in across the UK.
Svetofor was founded in Siberia in 2009, but it’s opened stores in Europe since 2018 under the name Mere.
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The Sun reported earlier this week that the Russian discount supermarket was looking to open four stores in the UK in Preston ,Castleford, Mold and Caldicot.
Now it has added a further 22 locations it wants to open shops in.
According to The Grocer, the new areas on Mere’s list include south Scotland and big city areas such as Sheffield, Exeter, Southampton – we’ve rounded up the full list below.
Mere hasn’t confirmed exactly when all the shops will open, but we have asked for more details and we will update this article as soon as we know more.
However, the first shop in Preston’s Ribbleton is reportedly scheduled to open next month.
Full list of locations Mere wants to open in
MERE, which has been dubbed “Russia’s Lidl”, will be opening in even more locations across the UK.
Earlier this week, The Sun reported Mere would be opening four shops in:
- Preston
- Castleford
- Mold
- Caldicot
Now, it has added a further 22 locations to the list, which are:
- Devon
- Stockport
- Neath
- Banbury
- Selby
- Bradford
- Middlesbrough
- Grantham
- Kettering
- Plymouth
- Beckenham
- Gloucester
- Northampton
- Cardiff
- Oswestry
- Barnsley
- Sheffield
- Exeter
- Stretford
- Southampton
- South Scotland
- Wales
Speaking to The Grocer earlier this month, Mere’s head of UK buying Pavels Antonovs claimed the supermarket would be 30% cheaper than rivals.
He said: “We are the gap in the market. We don’t have any competitors.
“Our model is no service and no marketing.”
Mere compares itself to Costco, but with no membership fee and no in-store service.
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Each UK store will reportedly be about 10,000 square feet and have just eight workers.
The shops are also said to include a walk-in chiller room and freezer, and items are typically sold directly from the pallets they’re delivered on.
The supermarket buys stock from suppliers on a “sale or return basis”, which means it’ll return any unsold goods to the seller.
The Russian chain is said to have 3,200 stores around the world.
The Sun has contacted Mere for comment.
How to cut the cost of your grocery shop
MONEY.CO.UK has shared some top tips with us to help you keep your supermarket spend down to a minimum.
- Write yourself a list – Only buy items that you need. If it isn’t on your list, don’t put it in the trolley
- Create a budget – Work out a weekly budget for your food shopping
- Never shop hungry – You are far more likely to buy more food if your tummy is rumbling
- Don’t buy pre-chopped veggies or fruit – The extra they’ll charge for chopping can be eye watering
- Use social media – Follow your favourite retailers to find out about the latest deals
- Be disloyal – You may want to go to different stores to find the best bargains
- Check the small print – It’s always worth checking the price per kg/lb/litre when comparing offers so you’re making a like for like decision as a bigger box won’t necessarily mean you get more
- Use your loyalty cards – Don’t be afraid to sign up to them all. They all work slightly differently – work out what bonus suits you better and remember to trade in your points for additional rewards
Mere will be the latest competitor to burst onto 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.
Around the same time, another new budget supermarket called OOPS! offered a year’s supply of free nuggets to one customer.
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