Press releases

Press release: A new OBI store: the 5th OBI store in Saint Petersburg, the 13th – in Russia

Saint Petersburg, 15.10.2008 - On the 15th of October 2008 the official inauguration ceremony of OBI Pulkovskoye new opening will take place in Saint Petersburg. OBI Pulkovskoye is the 5th OBI store in this city. The ceremony promises to be not only an entertainment and interesting performance but also an informative one.

Head of Moskovsky District government of Saint Petersburg, Mr. Vladimir Korovin, General Manager of OBI Russia, Mr. Thorsten Vogt and Store manager of OBI Pulkovskoye, Mr. Peter Vallentin are going to take part in the official opening ceremony. By tradition on this day OBI Management is going to hand over two vouchers with the amount of 250 TRUB each to two children’s homes of Saint Petersburg.

Within the ceremony a press-conference will be organized where General Manager of OBI Russia, Mr. Thorsten Vogt, and Commercial Director of OBI Russia, Mr. Evgeny Movchan will share the most actual information concerning the Russian DIY and retail market and review the results of the five-years-work of OBI in our country.

The official representatives of the company will inform about the results of the work in Saint Petersburg, through light upon the situation on the national retail market in DIY sphere, present the long term strategic plan of OBI expansion and development on the Russian market.

What/how are the capacities of Russian DIY retail market?
General trends on DIY market? What are the specificities of OBI?
Who is an OBI customer? What does make him buy at OBI and what are the differences to a western/ European customer?
Why is the new OBI store – OBI Pulkovskoye – different from the other stores in Russia in general and in Saint Petersburg in particular?

The answers to these and to some other questions the journalists can get during the press-conference.

OBI Pulkovskoye will open its doors for all customers at 10.00 a.m. on the 16th of October 2008. The new store has prepared a surprise for the customers in form of special price offers – purchasing at prices “like for friends”. Between over 50 000 items presented on the sales spece of more than 15 000 m² everyone can find some goods he/she really likes. OBI Pulkovskoye offers a new enlarged assortment of the goods’ categories “Kitchen” and “Lightning”. The wholesale clients can use the more convenient service of the store – the new pick-up zone.

After the opening of the new OBI store it will be easier and more convenient for the citizens of Saint Petersburg to purchase at OBI because the “new tenant”/”neighbour” has not only a very convention location but it is open 24 hours what surely can appreciate busy customers.

About the company

OBI entered the International market in 1994 when the first OBI store in Italy was opened. At the moment, the OBI company operates 517 stores in 11 countries. Apart from Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Poland, Hungary and Bosnia-Herzegovina, OBI is also present in Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Croatia. The total sales area of all OBI stores amounted to 3.3 million m2. In October 2008 OBI stores will be opened in 2 countries – in Rumania and in the Ukraine.
Currently 12 OBI stores were opened in Russia: 4 OBI store in Moscow, 4 – in Saint Petersburg, 1 – Kazan, 2 – Nishny Novgorod and 1 – in Ekaterinburg. Nowadays more people prefer purchasing in DIY retail chains instead of open markets because the DIY stores have a wide assortment, profitable prices, a pleasant atmosphere and high quality service.
OBI entered the market of Saint Petersburg in 2006: on the 5th of October the first OBI store - OBI Lakhta – was opened in this city. On the 14th of December 2006 two other OBI stores – OBI Dybenko and OBI Parnas – were opened there. On the 26th of April 2007 года the 4th OBI store was opened in Saint Petersburg. A record number of customers visited OBI Cosmonavtov on the first day.
OBI Pulkovskoye will be the 5th OBI store in Saint Petersburg and the first store which is the own construction project of the company.

Press release