Fozzy Group enters the Polish market, but it is not yet Silpo
25 April 15:23
Fozzy Group, one of Ukraine’s largest commercial and industrial groups, has started international expansion into the Polish market. The company, which owns such well-known chains as Silpo, Fora, Fozzy Cash & Carry and others, has already opened its first store there, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
According to an investigation by the wiadomoscihandlowe.pl portal, the Ukrainian retail giant entered the Polish market in a rather unconventional way. The new supermarket operates not under the usual Ukrainian brands, but under the name Carrefour. This became possible thanks to the franchise model of cooperation with the well-known French chain.
Legally, the business is conducted through IDKFA IDCLIP, a company registered in the fall of 2023. The ownership structure is distributed as follows: 90% of the shares are owned by Fozzy Holdings Limited, and the remaining 10% are held by Polish manager Maciej Gawronski, who previously worked for Jeronimo Martins (owner of the Biedronka chain) for almost 20 years and has been the head of logistics and supply chain at Fozzy Group since 2017.
The real beneficiary of the company is Volodymyr Kostelman, the founder, owner and president of Fozzy Group. He founded the company in 1997 in Kyiv and developed it to become the vice leader of the Ukrainian grocery retail market, which is second only to ATB Market in terms of sales (UAH 117.9 billion in 2023, according to Forbes). Kostelman is known not only as one of the richest businessmen in Ukraine, but also as the lead singer of the rock band Repair of Water.
The first store is already welcoming customers in Poznan’s Old Town at 104 Skotarska Street. According to Maciej Gawronski, Silpo acts mainly as a financial investor in this project.
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But what about Silpo?
It is worth noting that back in March 2023, the wiadomoscihandlowe.pl portal reported on the intentions of the Silpo chain to enter the Polish market and search for locations for stores with an area of 2.5 to 5 thousand square meters. At the time, Silpo representatives confirmed this information, noting that the company was studying the Polish market and best retail practices.
“Before the full-scale Russian invasion, we studied the best practices in grocery retail in the US, UK, China, Spain, France and other EU countries. And we continue to do so in Poland,”
– Silpo’s press service said at the time.
The company also emphasized that many Ukrainians have found refuge in the EU, particularly in Poland, and “when they return, their expectations of a grocery store may change. Therefore, Silpo has to evolve to offer the best service regardless of the war.
According to unofficial information from the wiadomoscihandlowe.pl portal, Fozzy Group is still considering opening its own branded stores in Poland and is looking for the best locations for outlets to open the first store under its own brand under favorable circumstances.
