Decathlon’s French founders have made plans to expand the Russian footprint of its Leroy Merlin DIY chain following other Western retailers’ exits.
The Mulliez family, which owns the French DIY business as well as Decathlon and supermarket conglomerate Auchan, have been accused of profiting off of the Russian invasion of Ukraine as it seeks to plug the gaps left by competitors such as Ikea that have closed their Russian stores.
In a letter to suppliers, Leroy Merlin’s Russian bosses said sales had significantly increased since the war began.
The letter, which was seen by The Telegraph, said: “Since the disappearance of certain companies from the market, we are open to your proposals on the increase of supply and the increase of your assortment of products.
“In the next three to four months, we plan to fully replace imported products with those produced in Russia.”
Leroy Merlin operates 112 stores in Russia, while Auchan employs 41,000 workers at 312 stores. There are also 60 Decathlon stores in the country.
All three businesses have refused calls to close in response to the Ukraine crisis.
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