“In view of the dramatic events that have taken place in Ukraine since the launch of military operations by Russian President Vladimir Putin, I firmly oppose this establishment. Let’s agree: Mayor Pierre Cuny’s announcement will not change the face of what has been happening on Europe’s doorstep since the start of the murderous Russian offensive. We must judge this position, expressed on March 2, under the prism of the simple symbol.
Because after all, would it be so regrettable not to see the Russian discounter Mere spring up on our territory? One can also wonder about the nature of the national media frenzy that accompanied, even before the dramatic events in Ukraine, the deployment in France of this giant from the East. Which, in its obsession to pull prices down, cut corners on all fixed costs by not taking the trouble, for example, to place its products on displays. Funny progress for the consumer. Parenthesis closed…
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“Between us, it would be suicidal”
Like the two towns of Pont-Sainte-Marie and Sainte-Marguerite, Thionville was therefore to be one of the three gateways to France for the Russian group. The newcomer was eyeing the (very) hard-discount segment with which brands like Lidl or Aldi seem to want to distance themselves.
Ambitions that should now be combined with the past, predicts Thierry Ghezzi. In the current context, marked by strong distrust of Russia, the trade assistant does not see how Mere could invest in the premises previously occupied by the Leader Price brand, Boucle des Ferronniers in the Linkling area: “Between us, that would be suicidal. Just look at the difficulties encountered by Russian restaurateurs in France at the moment. No, I don’t believe it, at least not right now…”
Right now: Accuracy matters. It seems indeed very delicate to prejudge the strategy of the thinking heads of this subsidiary of the Svetofor group (traffic light in Russian).
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Prior request for work
The opening of the sign in Thionville has been like an elusive sea serpent since September 2021: “Contacts with them are complex, recognizes Thierry Ghezzi, a bit circumspect about the profile of his interlocutors. I met two different people. Commercially, they gave me the impression of people… freshly arrived. “Inexperienced, we believe we detect in the remarks. And silent in the face of the wind of municipal opposition blowing on their arrival.
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