FOREIGN COMPANIES ENTERING RUSSIAN RETAIL MARKET

Slow growth and market saturation in many Mature markets attracts international retailers to look at Opportunities in emerging markets. including Russia. Positive trends in Russia's retailing. accompanied by growing stability of Russian economy. were appreciated by foreign retailers that since 2000 began massive investment into the sector. The paper tries to identify the stages of entering foreign chains into Russian retailing, paying attention oil special strategies Used by international players; to find out, in which retail formats and why foreign retailers are particularly Strong ill comparison with Russian retailers: to trace distinctive features of regional expansion of foreign chains into Russian retail market. The authour comes to the conclusion that Russia is becoming a part of global retail market. Although the presence of international retailers ill Russian market now is relatively poor (Lip to 3 % of total sales). their prospects seem to be rather optimistic because the trends in Russian retail market (regionalization of retailing: market consolidation and simultaneous growth of M&A deals: spreading of organized segments of retail) create favourable opportunities for foreign operators.