Obi moves into regional markets

Obi plans to open two stores in Russia before the end of this year, the company’s first openings in 2013. Both stores are located in shopping centres. The large-format branch in Saratov, a city with a population of 840 000 on the middle reaches of the Volga, has a retail area of 11 200 m². The new store in Rjasan, 200 km south-east of Moscow, offers the city’s 515 000 citizens the Obi product range on an area of 9 600 m². These two openings are a reflection of a new trend. Since the DIY market is approaching saturation in Russian cities with a population of more than a million, for several years now the retailers have been switching to the regional markets.