The Polish media outlet Wiadomosci Handlowe reported that the founder of Ukraine’s largest grocery stores enterprise the Fozzy Group, Volodymyr Kostemlan, has bought a Polish company Idkfa Idclip, which was registered in 2023, and that operates French retailer Carrefour’s store in Poznań, Poland.
The company’s registered address matches that of the “Association of Ukrainian Business in Poland,” according to an extract seen by Forbes Ukraine.
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90% of Idkfa Idclip’s shares were purchased by Fozzy Holdings Limited, which includes well-known Ukrainian grocery brands such as the discount chain Thrash!, as well as Fozzy, Silpo and Fora.
The remaining 10% is owned by Polish manager Maciej Gawroński, who has worked in the industry for over 20 years. Since 2017, he has been responsible for the Fozzy Group’s logistics and supply chain.
According to Gawroński, Silpo acts primarily as a financial investor for the project.
“That’s why it’s hard to call it a ‘true’ debut of Fozzy in the Polish market, like opening a Silpo store,” he told Wiadomosci Handlowe.
Although there are no stores currently operating under the Fozzy brand in Poland, the news outlet said the group continues to look for locations, and if conditions allow, the first full-fledged Silpo store could open soon.
In 2023, Silpo’s press service told Wiadomosci Handlowe that the company had started researching the Polish retail market. In March, they were looking for premises with an area of 2,500 to 5,000 square meters (27,000 to 55,000 square feet).
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“Before the full-scale Russian invasion, we studied the best grocery retail practices in the USA, UK, China, Spain, France, and other EU countries. And we continue this work in Poland,” Silpo representatives have said.
Silpo is one of the largest and most well-known supermarket chains in Ukraine. According to Fozzy Group data, there are currently 300 supermarkets in 60 cities across the country, along with 4 Le Silpo gourmet stores in Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Odesa.
Silpo’s known for the unique design of each store, with some made to look like space stations, medieval castles and circuses, with others inspired by the work of Nikola Tesla and the STALKER video game.