French retailer, Auchan, has signed an agreement to open, under franchises, supermarkets in Tajikistan - a first for this very poor republic in central Asia.
The first supermarket, out of the five expected, will open in the capital, Douchanbé, this year. These stores will particularly sell Auchan brand products produced in Russia. French distributor, Schiever, will be in charge of managing these franchise stores.
In November, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development announced a €5 million grant for Schiever to open the store in Douchanbé, where currently consumers buy in markets or small grocery stores. The bank stated that “the new 5,000 m2 supermarket will not only bring competition and lower prices, but also new standards in terms of food quality, hygiene and logistics”.
Struck by the fall of the Soviet system, then by civil war in the 1990’s, the economy in Tajikistan, a country with 7.5 million habitants, is very dependant on money transfers from migrant workers.