Brutal price competition is coming – it looks like the discount chain Mere is here

The logo and color scheme of the discount store registered as Basket Plusz are eerily similar to the image of Mere, and TS Retail Kft., which operates the company, has already been linked to the chain’s preparations in Hungary. In July, the company also registered a store under the same geographical number as Mere, with a wide range of products – from food to alcohol and pet food to household goods.

The unit called Basket Plusz, on the other hand, currently only offers chemical products, paints, fuels and household products, which suggests that the Mere chain may launch its first Hungarian store as a test run. The nature of the warehouse building, the palletized storage of goods, and the spacious parking lot all fit Mere’s business model, which aims for spartan equipment and low operating costs in order to keep prices down.

According to information from Mindmegette.hu, recruitment of employees has already begun: several advertisements have appeared on social media, in which they are looking for warehouse workers for 40 hours a week for the discount store opening in the 18th district.

According to Mere’s own model, it limits the margin to just 15 percent – compared to the usual retail level of 45-60 percent. Thanks to this, customers can get certain products for up to a third less, which could trigger serious price competition in the Hungarian discount market.

The chain has already established itself in several Central European countries, including Poland and Romania. If the Budapest store does indeed open, it could open a new chapter in domestic retail, where, after Lidl, Aldi and Penny, an ultra-discount player could now enter the competition.