Baucenter opens its ninth store

The Russian DIY store operator Baucenter has opened a new branch in Novorossiysk, the city with the biggest Russian port on the Black Sea. With a retail area of 24 000 m² and stocking more than 40 000 items, the store attracted 20 000 customers on the day of opening.
The company has invested RUB 800 mio in the new outlet in Novorossiysk, the construction of which was halted in 2008 owing to various problems.
For Baucenter, the number ten in the Russian DIY sector, this is the first store opening for seven years. The chain hitherto comprised four stores in Kaliningrad, two in Omsk and two in Krasnodar.
The eyes of senior management are now on expansion to Moscow and the area surrounding the capital, because that is where the greatest purchasing power of the Russian population is concentrated. The main obstacle to this project will probably be finding suitable premises. Baucenter currently has no other expansion ambitions, according to director of development Yury Dokuchaev in an interview with the portal retailer.ru. However, plans are in hand to improve online retailing and logistic services.