“Petrovitch’s USP is ‘we love our customers’”

"From Russia with love" could have been the heading for the twelfth interview conducted by John Herbert for the Global DIY Network of DIY associations Edra/Ghin and Hima. His discussion partner Evgeny Movchan is CEO of Petrovich, the number two in the Russian home improvement market. He described the St. Petersburg company with the words "I really do believe that our USP is 'we love our clients'." Movchan, who had previously worked for Leroy Merlin and Obi in Russia, stressed repeatedly that "The love for the customer is our key value."Petrovich has oriented its business model entirely to omnichannel distribution for a number of years. Its 20 stores, each with an average retail area of 3 500 m², function here as a logistic hub for the last mile of delivery to the customers. Online trade already accounted for around 40 per cent of the chain's retail sales prior to the emergence of the coronavirus; during the pandemic this figure rose to 50 per cent and online now accounts for 60 per cent of sales. Sales increased "like a rocket" due to the pandemic. "The pandemic gave us a unique chance," commented Movchan, the company having acquired and retained many new customers. Here Movchan highlighted the high level of service practised by Petrovich. Following sales growth of 23 per cent last year, sales are already 32 per cent above the level for the corresponding period in 2020.