Ukraine’s largest one dollar store chain Aurora intends to open 400 new stores this year and reach 2,000 outlets in Ukraine by the end of next year, said Taras Panasenko, CEO of the chain.
“We opened 40 stores in June, 24 in July, and more than 30 in August. The plan for this year is 400 stores, and we are basically fulfilling it. Today, together with the Romanian stores, we have already passed the figure of 1.5 thousand stores, including 25 in Romania and more than 1480 in Ukraine. The plan for Ukraine is 2.5 thousand stores. I think that at the end of next year we will definitely exceed 2 thousand stores, and in 2026 we will reach the goal,” Panasenko said at the Forbes Ukraine Business Breakfast on Wednesday.
According to him, next year the chain plans to enter the Moldovan market, and in 2026 to expand to other markets, considering the Balkan countries.
In addition, the company intends to develop new formats in the network, as well as digital business. In particular, the company opened a new store in Kyiv with a larger area, children’s and beauty departments, and a quick snack area.
“Aurora also continues to develop in the area of waste sorting and recycling: it plans to open waste sorting points in two cities by the end of the year. Currently, there is one in Poltava.
According to Panasenko, the network’s revenue grew by 55% in the first quarter. The company has the same plan for the second quarter, despite the power outage in July.
“We finished the first quarter as planned, with 55% growth. I think the second quarter will be the same. Of course, the power outage and the atypical heat wave in July had a significant impact. During this period, we fulfilled the plan by 85-90%, but now the situation has returned to normal,” the businessman explained.
“Aurora was founded in 2011 by Lev Zhidenko, Taras Panasenko and Lesya Klymenko. The head office of the Aurora retail chain is located in Poltava. Today, the chain has more than 1.4 thousand stores in Ukraine and 25 in Romania.
According to Opendatabot, the owner of Vyhidna Kupilka LLC, which develops the chain, is listed as Cyprus-based Aurority Investments Limited, with Zhydenko as its beneficiary. The Cypriot company also owns Prior Development LLC, Seven A LLC, Promyslova 9 LLC, and Tak LLC.
At the end of 2023, the network’s net profit amounted to UAH 4.1 billion, and net income – UAH 27 billion.
