According to the OpenDataBot rating, the Aurora chain of stores has become the largest employer in the Poltava region, with 12,536 employees.
The company was founded in 2011. Its head office is located in Poltava. It operates fixed-price stores.
Financial indicators: the company is among the top ten retail chains in Ukraine according to the OpenDataBot Index. Over the past year, the number of employees has increased by 5.7%.
In the first quarter of 2025, Ukrainian one-dollar store chain Aurora (Vygidna Pokupka LLC) increased its revenue by 32.5% compared to the same period in 2024, to UAH 10.6 billion.
“We have summarized the results of Aurora Multimarket for the first quarter of 2025. The company’s revenue amounted to UAH 10.6 billion (UAH 12.7 billion including VAT). During this time, we have opened more than 70 new stores in Ukraine and Romania. We are constantly creating new jobs, our team is already more than 15.5 thousand people,” said Taras Panasenko, CEO of the chain, on Facebook on Wednesday.
As reported by the Ukrainian Council of Shopping Centers with reference to YouControl, in the first quarter of 2024, the retailer’s revenue amounted to UAH 8 billion, which is 55.2% more than in the same period in 2023.
According to Panasenko, in January-March of this year, the chain paid more than UAH 2.1 billion in taxes and fees to budgets of all levels, including UAH 210.9 million in personal income tax to local community budgets.
As reported, Aurora’s revenue in 2024 increased by 42.5% to UAH 38.5 billion (excluding VAT).
“Aurora was founded in 2011 by Lev Zhydenko, Taras Panasenko and Lesya Klymenko. As of the end of 2024, the chain had more than 1600 stores in Ukraine and 30 in Romania. The head office of the retail chain is located in Poltava.
According to Opendatabot, the owner of Vyhidna Kupilka LLC, which develops the chain, is Cyprus-based Auroritail Investments Limited, and its beneficiary is Zhydenko.
Ukrainian one-dollar store chain Aurora has opened 33 stores in the Romanian market in the first year since entering the market and generated about EUR10 million in revenue, said Taras Panasenko, CEO of the chain.
“For this year, we have a plan of EUR40 million in revenue in Romania, which means to grow four times,” he said at the Exporters Summit organized by Forbes Ukraine in Kyiv.
According to anInterfax-Ukraine correspondent, Panasenko added that the number of checks has reached 1 million, and 98% of buyers are local.
As reported, Aurora invested UAH 2.5 billion in the development of its network in Ukraine in 2024. Last year, the chain’s revenue increased by 42.5% to UAH 38.5 billion (excluding VAT).
“Aurora was founded in 2011 by Lev Zhidenko, Taras Panasenko and Lesya Klymenko. At the end of 2024, the chain had more than 1600 stores in Ukraine and 30 in Romania. The company employs about 14 thousand people. The retail chain is headquartered in Poltava.
According to Forbes, citing Panasenko, Aurora plans to open 340-350 new stores in Ukraine in 2025.
“We want to go public, but we are waiting for the right time for retail companies. Now, for example, Polish Żabka has launched an IPO, and it was successful. However, the main factor that will have a positive impact on our IPO is the end of martial law in Ukraine,” the CEO also said.
According to him, the company does not plan to enter new markets yet, but will focus on the development of Romanian stores. “But we are looking at Uzbekistan, Moldova, Bulgaria,” Forbes quoted Panasenko as saying.
Ukraine’s largest one dollar store chain Aurora invested UAH 2.5 billion in the development of the chain in Ukraine in 2024, said CEO Taras Panasenko.
On Facebook, he said that the chain’s revenue for the year amounted to UAH 38.5 billion (excluding VAT), with more than 10 million unique customers.
“More than 600 partners of Aurora Multimarket are Ukrainian producers. They supply 46% of the assortment of Ukrainian products to our store shelves. 70% of them are non-food products. Together with our customers, we are giving new life to the Ukrainian light industry. In addition, this means additional billions of hryvnias of added value in Ukraine and tens of thousands of people employed. It is also an export window for Aurora in Romania,” he wrote.
“In 2024, Aurora Multimarket paid UAH 6.4 billion in taxes and fees, including UAH 2 billion in customs duties, UAH 1.6 billion in sales VAT, and UAH 737.3 million in unified social tax.
Local budgets received a total of UAH 643.5 million in personal income tax (PIT). According to Panasenko, Aurora currently employs more than 15,000 people and creates 2-3,000 new jobs every year. The average salary at Aurora in 2024 is significantly higher than the industry average.
“Taxes on the salaries of each store or warehouse are paid to local budgets at the place of operation. So having Aurora nearby is always a plus for the city. For example, due to the fact that the head office is located in Poltava, Aurora is by far the largest taxpayer in the budget of the Poltava territorial community, having paid more than UAH 199 million in personal income tax,” said Panasenko.
The head office of the Aurora retail chain is located in Poltava. “Aurora was founded in 2011 by Lev Zhidenko, Taras Panasenko and Lesya Klymenko. As of October 1, 2024, the chain has 1533 stores in Ukraine and 25 in Romania. The company employs about 14 thousand people.
According to Opendatabot, the owner of Vygidna Kupil LLC, which develops the chain, is Aurorityl Investments Limited of Cyprus, and its beneficiary is Zhydenko. The Cypriot company also owns Prior Development LLC, Seven A LLC, Promyslova 9 LLC, and Tak LLC.
Ukraine’s largest one dollar store chain Aurora paid more than UAH 4.5 billion in taxes and fees in January-September 2024, including more than UAH 455 million in personal income tax (PIT) to local community budgets, said Taras Panasenko, CEO of the chain.
According to him, the company is the largest taxpayer in the Poltava territorial community over the three quarters of this year, with revenues amounting to UAH 139.9 million.
Of the total taxes paid, UAH 1.37 billion was customs duties, UAH 1.36 billion was VAT on sales, UAH 522 million was a single social contribution, UAH 803.1 million was income tax, and UAH 37.9 million was military duty.
“It is equally important to support local manufacturing businesses. More than 500 of Aurora’s partners are Ukrainian manufacturers. They supply more than 47% of the range of Ukrainian products to our store shelves. 80% of them are non-food products,” said Panasenko.
In addition, 25 Ukrainian manufacturers export their products for sale in the Aurora chain in Romania.
According to the entrepreneur, in October, Aurora intends to sell UAH 1 billion worth of goods participating in the National Cashback program.
The head office of the Aurora retail chain is located in Poltava. “Aurora was founded in 2011 by Lev Zhydenko, Taras Panasenko and Lesya Klymenko. As of October 1, 2024, the chain has 1533 stores in Ukraine and 25 in Romania. The company employs about 14 thousand people.
According to Opendatabot, the owner of Vygidna Kupil LLC, which develops the chain, is Aurorityl Investments Limited of Cyprus, and its beneficiary is Zhydenko. The Cypriot company also owns Prior Development LLC, Seven A LLC, Promyslova 9 LLC, and Tak LLC.
Ukrainian one-dollar store chain Aurora has expanded its network to 25 stores and served more than 1 million customers in Romania over the past year, CEO Taras Panasenko said on Facebook.
“Exactly one year ago, the first store in Suceava opened its doors. Now we already have 25 stores here, and eight are in the pipeline to open soon. This year we have served more than 1 million customers in Romania (…), 98% of them are locals,” Panasenko said.
He noted that the segment in Romania is still far from being profitable, “because we need to scale up and fine-tune the product, but we are growing steadily, both quantitatively and qualitatively.”
At the same time, in Romania, Aurora’s NPS (Net Promoter Score), measured by an independent marketing agency, is even higher than in Ukraine, reaching 86.
“We are the first case in the history of independent Ukraine when a system retailer has successfully scaled to the EU. We support local Romanian and Ukrainian producers who export a lot of goods to Aurora Romania. This includes manufacturers from the frontline cities,” he said.
“Aurora was founded in 2011 by Lev Zhidenko, Taras Panasenko and Lesya Klymenko. The retail chain is headquartered in Poltava. The chain has 1528 stores in Ukraine and 25 in Romania.
According to Opendatabot, the owner of Vygidna Pokupka LLC, which develops the chain, is listed as Auroritail Investments Limited of Cyprus, 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.
