Too good to be true? Russian Mere’s prices could shake up Hungary’s retail market!

Mere has repeatedly announced plans to expand in Hungary, but store openings have so far been delayed. The company has revised its store opening dates at least four times, with the latest promise to open its first store in the first half of 2025. However, a series of delays has cast increasing doubt on whether Mere will actually enter the Hungarian market.

Although it does not yet have a physical store in Hungary, the Russian chain Mere has already set out in advance the prices it would like to charge to enter the domestic market. According to Világgazdaság, a recently leaked internal price list gives an insight into how the chain would position itself in the domestic retail competition. According to the promises, Mere would offer its products at lower prices than all major chains, allowing Hungarian shoppers to pay up to 10-20% less for their daily purchases.

What and for how much would Mere offer?

According to the price list, Mere has deliberately set its prices against the major players in the Hungarian market, Lidl, Aldi, Tesco, Auchan, SPAR and Penny, by deliberately undercutting these chains. Due to the close competition, they constantly monitor the pricing of their competitors and update their own offers accordingly. Although the current list only reflects plans on paper, a possible store opening could bring significant changes to the Hungarian food market.

The range includes a number of products that would be significantly cheaper than what is currently available on the market. For alcoholic beverages, for example, a litre of cider would cost HUF 846 (EUR 2.08), while the cheapest comparable product on the market is over HUF 1000 (EUR 2.46). The situation is similar for sangria, which would be sold for less than HUF 640 (EUR 1.57), compared to around HUF 800 (EUR 1.97) for competitors.

Mere also has a significant price advantage in pulses, cereals and staple foods. Wheat flour would cost HUF 152 (EUR 0.37) per kilogram, while other shops sell it for around HUF 170 (EUR 0.42). A litre of cooking oil would be offered at HUF 471 (EUR 1.16), almost 20 percent lower than the HUF 590 (EUR 1.45) set by competitors. A price difference of at least 20 percent is also promised for sausages and cold cuts.

Limited products and unknown brands

One of the key features of Mere is that its product range is much narrower than what Hungarian shoppers are used to from larger chains. It also differs from traditional business models by selling from pallets rather than shelves and by focusing on cheaper, less well-known brands. Although the choice may be narrower, lower prices and speciality products such as oriental sweets or Russian dairy products may appeal to certain groups of shoppers.

On paper, the arrival of Mere is a promising opportunity for Hungarian shoppers, as low prices could generate strong competition with existing chains. However, practical implementation remains a question mark. If Mere really enters the market, it could certainly reshape retail prices, but if it remains a promise, it could soon lose the confidence of customers and suppliers.

Read also:

• Shift in retail: Is Russian Mere pushing others out of Hungary?
• Is the opening of Russian chain store Mere in Hungary not so certain after all?