Vladislav Kurbatov Pyaterochka Biography

Sofya Litvinova first stores of the famous Russian retailer appeared 25 years ago, when it was still customary to buy products in the markets. The Pyaterochka general director Vladislav Kurbatov in an interview with RG told what kind of cosmically high -speed path the trade has traveled since then how to hold prices in today's conditions and as an ordinary store employee to get an apartment in Moscow.

The Director General of Pyaterochka Vladislav Kurbatov: we try to stably keep a low price for products that often come to the store. Vladislav Kurbatov: The first stores were like hard quanters - after the crisis of the year, a low price was important for consumers. But in fact, a new standard of civilized trade was created. It was expensive in the station wagons, and we could buy everything almost at the same price as in the market, but in cleanliness, warmth and comfort.

Over these 25 years, the network has gone a grandiose path - self -service cash desks, express delivery appeared, quality and assortment has grown. Today we provide customers with the availability of products of 21 thousand of our stores from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok. What challenges have a network in a quarter of a century? Vladislav Kurbatov: When it just started, the choice of products was a problem, the logistics was not built.

Today we must be flexible - new delivery routes, alternative suppliers, we have to invest in holding into prices on the shelf, despite inflation and increase in costs. The importance of the affordable price has not gone away, this requires constant work on efficiency. How do you assess the prospects of stores "at home" taking into account the aggressive development of hard discounters?

Vladislav Kurbatov: There are few tough discounters. We have more choice, and the price is close to the minimum. In addition, we are as close as possible to the consumer. In fact, we close different needs, a different basket, use different tools for attracting customers. Now many retail chains are opening coffee corners inside stores, developing the assortment of finished food.

Are you hoping to compete with restaurants? Vladislav Kurbatov: The trend for finished food will continue to gain momentum - a generation that does not like and does not want to cook is growing up. Yes, and the pace of life in general is increasing - we began to feed more than 1 million guests with ready -made dishes daily. A full-fledged lunch in our store is much cheaper than business lunch in a cafe and even fast food.

We increase the number of coffee-corners and our bakeries in stores and plan to add small tables for a comfortable snack. What is the share of goods of your own brand?

Are you planning to expand the proposal? The plans are to reduce the number of brands, but to make each more recognizable. For the buyer, STM is a guarantee of low price with stable quality. For retail - the ability to differentiate in the market and work with your product, maintaining the price when it has already increased for branded goods. How do you cope with a shortage of personnel?

Vladislav Kurbatov: Of course, there are difficulties. We make maximum efforts to retain our employees, but we also understand that in connection with development, new personnel are needed. For example, we try to give additional benefits so that employees receive a high stable salary, we care about the staff. Recently they played an apartment, cars and other prizes among employees.

By the way, a baker from Izhevsk won the apartment in Moscow. Due to what, in the current conditions, you can hold low prices? Vladislav Kurbatov: First of all, long -term contracts help directly with products manufacturers. The manufacturer receives an order from us for a certain volume, we get it at an understandable, fixed price. Secondly, we are working on simplifying business processes.

For example, now we are testing the “Perekoping” project - we have a little optimized the assortment so that it was possible to lay out the goods in the hall with boxes. This seriously reduces labor costs. Do you reduce the share of promo? How else can a profitable proposal be formed? And the share of promo, on the contrary, was halved. What is the share of sales now on online? Are you planning to develop?

Over the past year, we have grown online more than doubled both in orders and in trade. And this year we continue to grow above our expectations. How does the network support small and medium -sized businesses? Vladislav Kurbatov: There are several directions. For example, in Lipetsk there is an “agricultural agent” - when the aggregator company purchases products from local farmers for subsequent sale in our stores in pre -agreed and guaranteed volumes.

At the end of last year, we thus concluded more contracts. We plan to replicate this experience. There are in trading halls and farm corners a store format in a store. We also develop a franchise, which allows small regional entrepreneurs to open stores under our brand. What happens to your social projects? Vladislav Kurbatov: We have a lot of them, and despite the difficulties, we did not refuse them.From the year we are implementing the “Basket of Kindness” project, when buyers transfer products to those in need, and after we complement the grocery sets.

Each year, the volume of fees increases significantly - more than half for the year. Over the years of the project, we help us more than a thousand in need of families! For many years, there has been "candy of kindness" - part of the money from the purchase of each candy is transferred to the Life Line Foundation. For these funds, children received direct targeted assistance, another 45 children passed the necessary genetic studies.

Fudstering has also recently started - gratuitous transmission to needing products with an expired shelf life. The fifth year in the stores is the Islands of Security, and thanks to this project, more than 5 thousand people have already returned to relatives. We also organized the "centers of local communities" for the implementation of social and cultural initiatives: in small towns, local residents together organize exhibitions, master classes for children, etc.

Now you have already under the control of more than 21 thousand stores. What are the plans for the next 8th? Vladislav Kurbatov: It is impossible to guess so far in our rapidly changing world. But now it is obvious that stores will combine different formats of the same cafes or centers of communities. Surely, the share of online will grow. Of course, the automation of processes will develop: perhaps robots will appear that will lay out the goods on shelves or transport orders.