May 25 (Reuters) – French retailer Auchan does not plan to change its strategy in Russia or the structure of its local operations, the Russian arm of the private company Reuters said in emailed comments on Wednesday.
Auchan Russia was responding to a request for comment following local press reports that the company might hand over control of its national operations to a third party.
Auchan, which has around 30,000 employees, 231 stores and an online presence in Russia, is one of the few Western companies to have retained its activities in the country since Moscow sent thousands of soldiers to Ukraine on February 24.
At the end of March, Auchan declared that it planned to maintain its presence in Russia, which prompted Ukraine to call for a boycott of the chain as major international brands, from McDonald’s Renault to Nike, left the country.
“The main mission of Auchan Retail Russia is to provide the population with quality products at affordable prices. As of today, Auchan does not foresee any change in its strategy or in the organization of the company as a whole,” Auchan said. Russia in its email response on Wednesday.
Before the start of the conflict in Ukraine, Auchan planned to spend more than 20 billion rubles (317.48 million euros) to develop digital services in Russia by 2024, in order to stimulate online sales in the face of increased competition. of his rivals. (Reuters report; French version Augustin Turpin, said by Jean-Michel Blot)