KOLO retail network ranks second in fastest growing businesses in Kyiv region for 2024

According to the results of an industry study conducted by the Retailers Association of Ukraine at the end of 2024, KOLO became the second fastest-growing retail chain in Kyiv and the Kyiv region¹. During the year, the company opened 21 new stores, reaching a total of 247 stores by the end of the year. The study's findings were unveiled at the annual thematic event, the RAU Summit 2024. Sergii Voitsekhovskyi, a member of BGV Group Management's board of directors, spoke about BGV Group Management's investment focuses, the KOLO strategy, network expansion in the face of a full-scale invasion, and the challenges of wartime.

Sergii noted that KOLO is actively working on the network's sustainability and is unafraid to set ambitious objectives. Grocery stores face significant obstacles, including rebuilding stores damaged by shelling, implementing energy-self-sufficient solutions, and updating equipment to maintain food security for Ukrainians, even during the most critical times. Next year, the company plans to increase the network by adding 50 new convenience stores.

Additionally, Sergii addressed the challenges faced by Ukrainian businesses in the past few years and how these will shape the agenda in 2025.

Firstly, uncertainty dictates the need for new operational and strategic planning guidelines. Sergii explained that within the BGV group, there are various potential approaches for developing business strategy and budget planning for 2025, which will depend on shifts in the macroeconomy and their potential impact.

The second issue is a personnel shortage. The KOLO chain of stores currently operates with a 20% staff shortage. This shortage demands substantial investments in streamlining processes, implementing automation, providing employee training, and redistributing workload to enhance operational effectiveness and maintain high-quality standards.

Thirdly, some challenges arise from the shelling of Ukraine's energy infrastructure. KOLO is developing system solutions to enable autonomous power supply for its facilities. The company is currently utilizing battery-powered electricity storage systems. Nearly all of the chain's stores have been outfitted with these solutions. KOLO acquires different-sized battery-powered electricity storage systems, considering the store's size, energy consumption, the type of equipment used on the premises, etc. Another strategic solution that the store team immediately focused on after the initial outages was analyzing the electricity usage of all the equipment in the KOLO chain. The process was quite lengthy and arduous, but it allowed the company to evaluate the energy efficiency measures thoroughly. The audit successfully persuaded the company to upgrade all refrigerators in the chain with newer and more cost-effective equipment, such as slide-type refrigerators (racks).

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The KOLO store chain is part of the BGV Group Management Group. It specializes in convenience stores and is a top Ukrainian FMCG retail industry player. By 2024, the chain plans to have 247 stores located in Kyiv, the Kyiv, and Odesa regions. With a team of over 1,100 employees, KOLO stores cater to a daily customer base of over 60,000.