In this new episode of La Loupe, Béatrice Mathieu, senior Economy reporter, and Charles Haquet, editor-in-chief of the World department, detail their discoveries about the French’s favorite DIY store.
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The team: Mathias Penguilly (writing), Charlotte Baris (presentation) and Jules Krot (editing and production).
Music and dressing: Emmanuel Herschon/Studio Torrent
Image credits: NurPhoto/AFP
Logo: Anne-Laure Chapelain/Benjamin Chazal
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Charlotte Baris: Imagine for a moment that you are walking in a Leroy Merlin store. You walk through the wide aisles of the store, perhaps looking for a tool to do some work. If you have decided to redo your living room or bathroom, you will certainly seek help from a consultant who can show you samples or help you model your room on a computer. All of this is the type of fairly standard service that you can find in a Leroy Merlin store in France.
If you were in Russia, the experience might be a little different. Since his installation near Moscow in the early 2000s, Leroy Merlin has made the country his “laboratory”. Today, in certain Russian stores of the brand, customers can visualize their projects with a virtual reality headset or even test the resistance of materials using robots. In any case, that was before the invasion of Ukraine. Like many Western companies established in the region, Leroy Merlin must think fairly quickly about remaining in Russia. The months pass, international pressure becomes increasingly heavy, but the brand remains. On social networks she is sometimes nicknamed “Leroy Kremlin”.
The group is today in an untenable situation. Two years after the start of the war, he was still slow to pack his bags and disguised his activities behind complex financial arrangements. We explain everything to you in this episode of La Loupe.
For further :
Leroy Merlin in Russia, our revelations: opaque arrangements, false starts and contracts with the State
How the pressure is increasing for Leroy Merlin to cease its activities in Russia
TotalEnergies, Leroy Merlin… The “black list” that is shaking businesses in Russia
Engie, Renault, Danone, Air France… These French companies in the Russian quagmire