Clashes with European heavyweights in the offing
Wal-Mart chief executive Lee Scott is understood to be planning a move into Central and Eastern Europe.

In an interview with The Financial Times, Scott said he favoured the retail markets in Poland, Hungary and Russia as the likely destinations for the retailer's continued expansion.

The comment is sure to ruffle the feathers of large European retailers with expansion plans of their own, such as Auchan, Metro and Tesco, which has a 14 per cent share in the Hungarian retail market.

Scott is more likely to favour acquisitions than organic growth because other international retailers already operate in these countries.

Topics