A multi-million dollar Western-style supermarket currently being built on Hryshka 3 in the Kharkivsky district, is slated to open in January. The Billa Supermarket will be the first large-scale grocery of its kind in Kyiv. But it certainly won't be the last. The company plans to build a chain of 20-25 supermarkets throughout Ukraine within the next three years.
The project was initiated in June last year by Billa-Ukraine, a Kyiv-based affiliate of Austrian company Euro Billa, a member of REWE Group and the project's investor and supervisor.
The project was designed by Euro Billa, in conjunction with Kyiv-based real estate developer Jones East 8.
'REWE Group represents the second biggest supermarket chain in Europe and employs 200,000 people,' said Gotthart Klingan, general director of Billa-Ukraine. 'Our parent company already has covered Eastern Europe, building Billa supermarkets in Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovak Republic and Croatia.'
Euro Billa set up its branch in Kyiv two years ago in the hope of adding Ukraine to its European network.
Klingan is the only foreign expert working on the project. The construction work is being handled by construction companies Kyivmiskbud and Osnova Solfis.
The whole project costs about $4.5 million, Klingan said. Kyiv will see a standard Billa supermarket with a shop space of 2,000 square meters and a warehouse area of 1,000 square meters. The building will have two floors.
The second floor will offer 800 square meters of office space. There will be 16 cashiers, 400 parking spaces with a number of employees ranging from 100 to 140, according to Klingan.
On top of that, in the supermarket, there will be a meat department, employing 15 butchers.
About 80 percent of the products in the store will be food items. There will be high-quality fresh and frozen products – fruits, vegetables, delicacies, cheese, various salads and dairy products, etc. The remaining 20 percent of items will be household products such as cleaning supplies, toiletries and paper products.
'More than 70 percent of the products will be locally produced,' Klingan said. 'We intend to sell high-quality products at the best prices.'
Unlike many Western-style supermarkets that have popped up in the city over the past few years and cater to Kyiv's wealthier residents, Billa will shoot for customers who earn an average wage.
'Our supermarket is basically designed for everybody. We will offer products for each income,' Klingan said.
Billa-Ukraine plans to build two more standard supermarkets in Kyiv by mid-June. Construction already has started, Klingan said.
'We see great potential in the Ukrainian market,' Klingan said. 'We are going to invest more money into the future of Ukraine.'
Anna Stepanenko can be reached at [email protected]
