Scandal occurs in Prague due to "experience exchange" programme with German supermarket chain in Russia

The decision of the German supermarket chain Globus, which did not stop its activity in Russia after the beginning of the full-scale invasion in Ukraine, to send its Czech employees to Moscow for an exchange of experience caused a scandal in the Czech Republic.

Source: European Pravda, referring to the Seznam Zprávy media outlet

Details: Volker Schaar, Head of the Russian department of Globus since 2005, moved from Moscow to Prague in the summer of 2022. He has been performing his duties for Russia from there while managing the network in the Czech Republic.

In addition to this, some of the Globus staff are set to go on a business trip to Russia in the coming weeks. The company has unofficially told Seznam Zprávy that the trip will take place in April via Türkiye, and mainly the CEOs of the sixteen Czech supermarkets will participate in it.

Aneta Turnovská, press secretary of Globus ČR, did not deny that this business trip was indeed planned.

Quote: "Mutual visits between the Globus holding affiliates are held from time to time. Their aim is the exchange of work experience among colleagues with the same areas of responsibility. Participation in this business trip is always voluntary."

Turnovská added that the accommodation of managers in different countries or several places is "a normal procedure", and Schaar’s arrival in the Czech Republic was a result of personnel reorganisation, and "there were no political reasons for this".

This is not the only evidence of possible cooperation between Czech Globus and the Russian market. The Russian chain is still selling Czech food products, mainly beer and alcohol.

At the same time, the vast majority of Czech manufacturers claim that they have not been supplying anything to Russia for a long time. Globus insists that the Czech affiliate is not involved in procuring the goods for the Russian market in any way.

Matthias Bruch, the German owner of the Globus group, explained that the reason for the company’s presence in Russia is its almost 10,000 Russian employees, as well as the customers of large stores for whom he wants to "preserve access to food products".

"But, undoubtedly, there are business reasons for Globus staying in Putin’s empire. Russia is an exceptionally important market for the revenues of the Bruch family’s holding company, and a possible withdrawal from the market may lead to the Russian state expropriating their assets," Seznam Zprávy reports.

It is estimated that the annual turnover of the Russian department of Globus, which consists of 19 supermarkets, is about €1 billion. Before the full-scale war, Russia was the most profitable department of Globus in recent years. 

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