In 2025, the Ukrainian store chain ‘Aurora’, which is the largest one dollar store retailer in the country, has adjusted its expansion strategy. Currently, the company opens a new store every 30 hours, which is a significant slowdown compared to last year when this figure was 14 hours. This was reported by the network’s co-founder Taras Panasenko.
This is reported by Finway
Changes in Expansion Strategy and Financial Indicators
According to Panasenko, the company has focused on opening larger stores, but in smaller quantities. As a result, the number of new retail outlets is increasing more slowly than planned. By the end of 2024, ‘Aurora’ intended to reach 2,000 stores in Ukraine, but currently, there are only 1,753. At the same time, in terms of retail space, the retailer is on track with the planned volumes.
“We expect net revenue to be ₴49 billion excluding VAT. We will grow by 29% compared to last year or by 22% in dollar equivalent,” Panasenko noted.
International Expansion and Preparation for IPO
Regarding international operations, the company aimed to open 150 stores in Romania by the end of 2024, but currently, only 55 retail outlets are operational. The priorities for ‘Aurora’ in Romania are now increasing revenue, enhancing profitability, and carefully selecting locations for new stores. Panasenko also mentioned that Bulgaria could be the next country for expansion.
Evaluating the company’s worth at $4.5 billion, the co-founder emphasized that ‘Aurora’ is actively preparing for its stock market debut, which will be an important step in the further development of the network.