A Russian store chain is coming to Hungary: April Fool’s joke or reality?

Indeed: the news hit the Hungarian press on April 1. The news was first reported by Haszon.hu, who learned about the development on the basis of an e-mail, which – supposedly – representatives of the Russian discount store sent to their potential business partners at the end of February. The e-mail also contained specific investment plans, according to which twenty stores will be opened in Budapest and the agglomeration in the coming year, and two hundred stores are planned within three years, with a turnover of 700 million euros (roughly HUF 280 billion). These data can be compared with Lidl’s current position, since according to Mere’s plans, their turnover could be the eighth largest in Hungary, while Lidl reached this result in roughly 15 years, VG.hu points out.