Kesko to open first grocery stores in Russia

Finland-based retail chain Kesko is going to expand its store portfolio in Russia and launch a hypermarket format. After five years of planning it will finally open four hypermarkets between 2012 and 2013, two of which will be in the St Petersburg area and two in the Moscow area.

Today Kesko operates over ten K-Rauta DIY stores in Russia. Its net sales amounted to EUR204 million (USD289 million) in 2010, up 21% from a year earlier.