Belgian branch of Russian supermarket chain to close four months after opening

The first Belgian branch of the Russian supermarket chain Mere is shutting down, just three months after its official opening. The store, located in Opwijk, Flemish Brabant, will close in October, writes De Tijd on Monday. "The shop proved to be insufficiently profitable from a commercial point of view," said the company on Facebook.

Mere made its debut in Belgium back in June. The opening was controversial, due to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. Earlier this year, the local government of Opwijk said that it opposed the arrival of the discount supermarket chain, but was unable to stop it.

It seems that offering 10% to 20% cheaper prices than competitors Lidl and Aldi was not enough to gain a foothold in Belgium. Concerns about both the limited range and the quality of its products remained. Nevertheless, Mere is still planning to open 10 stores in Brussels, Ghent, Antwerp, Leuven and Bruges in the future.

© BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK