In January-September 2024, the number of stores of surveyed Ukrainian retailers increased by 9.5%, or 1,925 outlets, with Kyiv, Dnipro and Lviv regions leading the way, according to a study by the Ukrainian Retailers Association.
“The number of operating stores in the first nine months of this year continues to show positive dynamics. Thus, in January-September 2024, 1925 stores were opened and 649 were closed for various reasons. Accordingly, during this period, the net increase amounted to 1276 retail outlets. It should be reminded that in the first six months of 2024, 837 stores were added,” the association said in a statement.
According to the association, the largest number of stores is concentrated in Kyiv and the region – 5266 retail facilities. It also has the largest increase in retail outlets: in nine months, the number of operating stores increased by 473, including 328 closed stores.
Dnipropetrovska oblast ranks second with 2,075 operating stores. At the same time, 180 outlets were reopened or launched in the region and 64 stores were closed during the reporting period.
Lviv region is the third most concentrated retailer with 1947 retail outlets. Also, 124 new stores accounted for 56 closed ones in the first nine months.
According to the study, Odesa (1316 stores) and Kharkiv (1215) regions are also among the five most saturated regions with stores. In January-September, 98 and 97 new active outlets were recorded in these regions, respectively, while 41 and 77 were closed.
According to the association, these five regions account for more than half (54%) of all operating stores of the surveyed retailers (108 companies).
Aurora, Ukraine’s largest one dollar store chain, opened eight new stores across Ukraine on the eve of the fall, said Ruslan Kudrya, the chain’s development director.
“Today we have surpassed ourselves. At the end of the week, month and summer, we opened eight new stores across Ukraine in one day – the previous record was six,” he wrote on Facebook on August 31.
As specified in the message, three stores were opened in Kyiv, one in Chernihiv, Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Morshyn and Dykanka village (Poltava region).
As reported, Aurora intends to open 400 new stores by the end of this year and reach 2,000 outlets in Ukraine by the end of next year.
“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 1400 stores in Ukraine and 25 in Romania.
According to Opendatabot, the owner of Vygidna 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.
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.
In January-June 2024, Ukrainian grocer EVA opened 28 new stores, expanding its network to 1080 outlets in Ukraine.
According to the retailer’s press service, by the end of this year, it is planned to launch 30 more new EVA stores, mainly in the Women’s Energy chain format.
According to the chain, as of the end of June, e-commerce accounted for 14% of the chain’s sales. In addition, the assortment from third-party sellers on the Eva.ua marketplace already includes 10 thousand SKUs, with sales of over UAH 500 thousand.
In January-March, the total web traffic on the retailer’s platforms averaged 13 million sessions per month, which made it possible to generate 13-14 thousand online orders, the report says. Meanwhile, about a third of online orders are made through the EVA mobile app, and the number of app installations reached 4.2 million by the end of June.
According to the press release, the number of online ordering points currently stands at 1064 in 340 cities. By the end of the first half of 2024, the share of online orders delivered to the points of delivery by the retailer’s own transport reached 51%. Courier delivery is currently available in Kyiv, Lviv and Dnipro.
In the first half of the year, the company also expanded the warehouse area of the online store in Lviv by 2.6 thousand square meters (up to 24.8 thousand square meters). In addition, the company is building a new building, automating processes at its distribution center in Odesa and increasing the level of automation at its warehouses in Lviv and Brovary, the retailer said.
In January-March 2024, the amount of funds allocated to charitable and social initiatives by EVA and its customers amounted to UAH 18 million.
RUSH LLC, which manages the EVA chain, was founded in 2002. As of June 30, 2024, the chain had 1080 stores in operation.
According to Opendatabot, the owner of RUSH LLC is Insetra Holdings Limited (Cyprus, 100%), and the company’s ultimate beneficiaries are Ukrainian businessmen Ruslan Shostak and Valeriy Kiptyk.
According to RUSH’s financial results, the company’s revenue last year increased by 33.7% to UAH 21 billion, net profit by 26% to UAH 2.2 billion, and asset value by 45.2% to UAH 15.03 billion. In 2023, EVA paid UAH 2.02 billion in taxes and fees to the budgets of all levels.
The international chain JYSK is opening two stores: a new one in Odesa in the Mercury shopping center (99v Semena Palia Street) and an updated one in Poltava in the Kyiv shopping center (6/1a Zinkivska Street), the retailer’s press service reports.
“Despite all the challenges, anxieties, and even power outages, JYSK is expanding its network to 96 stores in Ukraine. I would like to thank the team of both stores for their work!” says Country Director of JYSK Ukraine, Yevhen Ivanitsa, commenting on the opening.
In the renovated store in Poltava, the sales area (from 900 to 1150 square meters) and warehouse area (from 225 to 309 square meters) were increased, office space was renovated and a separate room for employees was created.
The store opened in Odesa is the sixth JYSK store in the city. It has a selling area of 1078 square meters, a warehouse of 247 square meters, and an office space of 40 square meters.
Both stores are part of the 3.0 concept, which includes better spot lighting, more modern design and a more comfortable zonal arrangement of goods for customers.
The company has already announced the opening of its seventh store in Odesa in the fall in the Rodos shopping center. The candidate cities for the 100th store are also known. It will be either Kalush or Kryvyi Rih in August.
Currently, there are 96 stores and the jysk.ua online store in Ukraine. By the end of 2024, the plan is to reach 100 stores.
JYSK has more than 800 employees in the country.
JYSK is part of the family-owned Lars Larsen Group with more than 3.4 thousand stores in 48 countries.
JYSK’s revenue in the financial year 2022/23 was EUR 5.2 billion.
The international chain JYSK plans to open two new stores in Odesa this year, according to JYSK Country Director in Ukraine Yevhen Ivanitsa.
“Odesa, Arcadia, Rodos shopping center. This is where the seventh JYSK store in the southern capital of Ukraine will open in the fall. Currently, there are five JYSK stores in Odesa. The sixth JYSK will open in the summer in the Mercury shopping center,” he said on Linkedin.
Currently, there are 95 stores and the online store jysk.ua in Ukraine. The plan is to reach 100 stores by the end of 2024.
JYSK has more than 800 employees in the country.
JYSK is part of the family-owned Lars Larsen Group with more than 3.4 thousand stores in 48 countries.
JYSK’s revenue in the financial year 2022/23 amounted to EUR 5.2 billion.
