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Metro Cash&Carry temporarily closes two stores in Crimea

The hypermarket in Simferopol has closed to take annual inventory

© ITAR-TASS/Valery Sharifulin

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SIMFEROPOL, April 10. /ITAR-TASS/. The retailer Metro Cash&Carry has temporarily closed its two stores in Crimea, the chain administration in Simferopol (capital of Crimea) said on Thursday, April 10.

Metro Cash&Carry Corporate Communications chief Olesya Olenitskaya confirmed to ITAR-TASS that both stores, located in Simferopol and Sevastopol, had been closed.

The hypermarket in Simferopol has closed to take annual inventory. In a private conversation with ITAR-TASS, Metro Cash&Carry officials in Simferopol said that after the audit the stores would re-subordinated to the company’s Russian country office. No layoffs are being planned, but it’s not clear when exactly the stores will resume operation.

Metro Cash&Carry Ukraine confirmed that the scheduled inventory commenced on April 9 was underway but could not say when it would be completed. The stores are expected to reopen after its completion.

The German chain of Metro Cash&Carry hypermarkets is the largest segment of the Metro Group that owns more than 750 retail outlets in 29 countries. It has been operating in Russia since 2000 and runs 72 stores in the country. Its annual turnover in Russia is 4 billion euros.

Metro Cash&Carry Ukraine says on its website that it operates 31 stores in Ukraine and two stores in Crimea.

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