13 October 2017 – X5 Retail Group (“X5” or “the Company”), a leading Russian food retailer (LSE: FIVE), announces the opening of a refurbished Karusel hypermarket on Savushkin Street in St Petersburg. The redesigned store is the first to feature the updated Karusel logo and some other elements of the chain’s new concept.
The hypermarket’s interior design and indoor navigation are tailored to offer customers a premium shopping experience. Low shelves enable easier navigation, while tall merchandise showcases and clear signposting make it easy to find sections from almost anywhere in the shopping area. The hypermarket also uses innovative product storage systems in the shape of playhouses, split-level podiums, etc. The wooden interior and distinctive product layout make the liquor section look like a speciality boutique.
The new Karusel’s food court has four zones, including a pizza place, sushi bar, confectioner’s and a 250-seat restaurant. Customers can also buy ready-to-cook products to take home from the deli counter (though prices for some menu items in the restaurant are the same as at the deli counter). For the convenience of customers, trolley parks are located before the food court so customers can lock and leave their shopping trolleys before going in.
The selling space of the new hypermarket exceeds 5,700 sq m, with a product mix totalling more than 25,000 SKUs. 90% of the food offering comprises goods produced in Russia, with local suppliers from St Petersburg and the Leningrad region (over 100 companies in total) delivering fresh baked products, cakes, meat, cheese and dairy products, eggs and more. The product mix includes over 1,800 SKUs from local suppliers, accounting for more than 30% of the fresh and ultra-fresh categories.
The new Karusel created a total of 162 new jobs.