Leroy Merlin rebrands as Lemana Pro amid controversy in Russia
French hypermarket chain, Leroy Merlin, announces rebranding in Russia. The company will continue to operate but under a different name. The entire process is expected to be completed next year. It is worth noting that Leroy Merlin is one of the largest foreign companies in Russia, and it recently made headlines for allegedly aiding Putin's army.
Leroy Merlin is a French hypermarket chain in the construction sector. It specializes in construction, gardening, home furnishings, and DIY.
It has been operating in Russia for 20 years. It employs over 45,000 workers in 112 stores and six distribution centres. Interestingly, the chain has more stores only in France.
After the start of the full-scale Russian military invasion of Ukraine, the company did not close its Russian stores but limited its investment programme. The decision was met with a wave of criticism and even boycotts of the outlets in European countries. In Forbes magazine's ranking of the largest foreign companies in Russia for 2022, Leroy Merlin took first place. The company's revenues for that year amounted to £4.4 billion.
According to the Russian independent portal Meduza, the chain has just announced a rebranding in Russia. The company will continue to operate but under the name Lemana PRO. The process will proceed in stages, with the first stores updating their logos and visual identity before the end of 2024. The entire process will be completed in 2025.
It is worth recalling that in February 2023, a joint investigation by "Le Monde" and "The Insider" was published, accusing the French networks Auchan and Leroy Merlin of providing humanitarian aid to the Russian army. The companies denied the allegations.
In March 2023, Leroy Merlin announced that it would sell all Russian stores to local management. A year later, the Leroy Merlin branch in Russia, as part of the transfer of the company, changed the legal entity's name to Le Monlid LLC, based in Mytishchi.
