10 Sep 2009 15:45

SPAR plans to boost 2009 Russia sales to almost 1 bln euro

MOSCOW. Sept 10 (Interfax) - Dutch retail chain SPAR plans to boost its sales in Russia this year to almost 1 billion euro, the CEO of Spar International, Gordon Campbell, told journalists on the sidelines of the retail industry summit in Moscow on Thursday.

Despite cutbacks to the overall expansion program, the chain will open all the stores in Russia planned for 2009, including locations in Tula, Nizhny Novgorod and Moscow region.

SPAR opened a 5,000-square meter hypermarket in Moscow last year.

SPAR had 182 stores in operation at the end of 2008. Sales that year totaled 600 million euro, 16% more than in 2007.