Stop Doing
Business with Russia

On March 11, 2022 Leroy Merlin announced that it does not plan to reduce its operations in Russia, where it operates 143 stores. On March 17, 2022 they disconnected the Ukrainian office from corporate communications and announced that they would increase deliveries to the Russian Federation. Stopped new investments, imports, and financing in Russia. But the latest video investigation confirms that a French company is supporting Russia's war effort in Ukraine. On March 24, 2023 ADEO announces its intention to transfer control of Leroy Merlin Russia to the local management. The company Scenari Holding, registered in the United Arab Emirates, became the main owner of "Leroy Merlin Vostok", the Russian structure of the chain of stores, according to the data of the EGRUL. 12.2023: The record about the founder of JSC "BRICOLAGE INVESTISSMAN FRANCE" has been deleted from EGRUL. SCENARI HOLDING LP (UAE) becomes the new founder of the organization. 19.12.2023: The status of a legal entity is changed to "The legal entity is in the process of reorganization in the form of joining it with other legal entities." In the course of a detailed investigation, it turned out that the company signed a technical agreement on the alleged sale of the main business in Russia (SCENARI HOLDING LP from the UAE), but the CEO (Defassier Laurent, Louis, Claude) stayed the same since 2019, the company signs new contracts with the group and authorities of the Russian Federation (including the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Internal Affairs), trademarks are extended in Rospatent until 2031. In addition, as the L'Express investigation showed, SCENARI HOLDING LP has the same General Director as in Russia - Laurent Defassier, so the company used a tax optimization scheme, also called layering. Also, most of the imports in 2023 by Leroy Merlin Vostok in Russia was received from ADEO. The French chain of DIY stores Leroy Merlin made a fifth of its sales and a quarter of its profits in Russia last year, according to financial data from its parent company Adeo seen by AFP on Monday, August 12, 2024. In its 2023 consolidated accounts filed with the Lille business court, Adeo said the transfer of control over operational activities was completed fully only at the end of December 2023. However, it said Adeo remains a "passive investor", and that conditions had not been met for it to deconsolidate the operations from its 2023 accounts, including retaining share capital as of the end of the year.

Still operating in Russia due to "unimaginable leaving from a human point of view" working for the benefit of the civilian population. The latest video investigation confirms that a French company is supporting Russia's war effort in Ukraine. The National Agency for Prevention of Corruption included the French corporation "Auchan" in the list of international war sponsors. "Auchan Retail Russia continues to work on the Russian market and does not plan to change either its strategy or its work organization. Auchan in Russia works autonomously, without investments from the parent company. There are no plans to open new stores. At the same time, all existing stores continue their work and there are no plans to close them," the retailer noted. Ceetrus, owned by the Auchan group, may sell its assets in Russia. The Ceetrus group, which owns and operates almost 300 shopping centers in Europe, is considering the possibility of selling its assets in Russia. Retailer Auchan refutes rumors about leaving the Russian market, the company continues its work in Russia and plans development in the country, the retailer said in a statement. Auchan made the corresponding statement against the backdrop of recent news about transactions in the real estate market. Earlier it became known that the French company Ceetrus, part of the Auchan Holding group, closed a deal to sell Russian assets. According to the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, from April 12, 2024, the Trade Galleries company became the new owner. “The change of founders, as well as any other structural or organizational changes occurring in third-party companies, do not in any way affect the activities of Auchan in Russia,” the release adds. The retailer also reminds that since 2023, Auchan Retail Russia has been operating in the Russian market independently from the parent company. Auchan, one of the few French chains still operating in the Russian Federation, found a local buyer to exit Russia and entered the final stage of negotiations. According to La Lettre, the Mulliez chain is in final negotiations with a local buyer for the sale of its Russian branch. The name of the buyer has not yet been disclosed, but the signing of the agreement may take place in the coming weeks. The company has not yet confirmed or denied this information. 29.10.2024: Auchan filed an application to register a new trademark. The Russian subsidiary of French supermarket chain Auchan quashed rumours of an impending sale, saying it continued to operate for the benefit of the local population. Although operation of the chain's 230 stores in Russia was transferred to local management in 2023, Auchan is one of the few French firms to remain in the country. "Rumours of a sale of Auchan Russia and its leaving the Russian market have recently multiplied and we have repeatedly denied them," the subsidiary said in a statement sent to AFP. "Our response is always the same: we don't comment on market rumours and we are continuing to work for the good of the country's population." French business journal La Lettre reported on Monday that Auchan had rejected an offer. The journal had reported in late October that negotiations were underway with a local buyer for the Russian stores, which employ some 30,000 people. Many Western companies have quit the Russian market since Moscow launched in February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but some have found it difficult to sell their operations. The continued operation of Auchan and hardware chain Leroy Merlin, both of which are owned by France's Mulliez family, has drawn the ire of many Ukrainians, including President Volodymyr Zelensky.