“Auchan is in trouble again: the retailer will continue to operate in Russia
29 May 2024 16:28
“Auchan Retail Russia does not plan to cease operations in the territory of the aggressor country and is even going to develop new areas of work. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to Russian media.
Asya Balabay, Commercial Director of Auchan Retail Russia, denied the information about the company’s withdrawal from the Russian market. The company plans to continue its operations in Russia and develop its network.
“I would like to express my gratitude to the Ministry of Industry and Trade and Viktor Leonidovich Yevtukhov for helping us to fight such rumours, which we are a bit tired of, that Auchan is leaving Russia. This is not true. “Auchan is here to stay and will continue to operate,”
– balabay said.
Earlier, the media published information that the French company Ceetrus, controlled by Auchan Holding, had sold its assets in Russia. The buyer, according to the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, was the Trading Galleries holding. However, Auchan clarified that third-party transactions do not affect its core business.
It is worth noting that despite Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Auchan did not leave the Russian market, although it stated that it would stop investing and supplying to Russia.
In February, The Insider, Le Monde and Bellingcat published a joint investigation, which reported that the French company Auchan had been supplying goods to the Russian military in the occupied territories of Ukraine since the beginning of the war, and had also assisted military enlistment offices in recruiting mobilised people among its employees.
The Ukrainian office of Auchan expressed shock at the results of this journalistic investigation and demanded explanations from the French office.
Auchan Retail stated that it does not organise, support or finance any “charity” collections for the Russian armed forces. The company explained that in March 2022, it received an order from the St. Petersburg mayor’s office, but there was nothing in it that could indicate a specific “final destination”.
However, journalists from The Insider insisted that Auchan’s management was aware of where the goods of the Russian branch were going and participated in disguising the supplies to the Russian Ministry of Defence.
