MERE supermarkets in Greece suspended after EU sanctions on Russian owner

MERE Torg Hellas EU sanctions Sergey Shnayder Greece

Torg Hellas, the Greek operator of the MERE discount supermarket chain, temporarily halted operations at all 11 of its stores across Greece. The closure affects roughly 170 employees and dozens of local suppliers. The move follows the European Union’s inclusion of Sergey Shnayder, co‑founder of the Russian retail group Svetofor that owns MERE, in its 21st sanctions package because of activities in occupied Ukrainian territories. The same sanctions prompted comparable store suspensions in Latvia and Lithuania.

The Workers’ Centre of Pella appealed to the state to protect the 170 jobs, stressing that the shutdown stems from geopolitical measures, not business performance. Prior to the suspension, MERE’s 2024 turnover rose 60.5% to €11.99 billion, though pre‑tax losses grew to €797 thousand. Torg Hellas is reviewing legal options to resume trading, but no reopening date has been set. The 11 stores are located in Thessaloniki (Evosmos), Larissa, Tripoli, Corinth, Agrinio, Amaliada, Trikala, Kalamata, Giannitsa, Veria and Ptolemaida.

Entities: European Union · Mere · Sergey Shnayder · Svetofor · Svetofor Group · Torg Hellas · Workers' Centre of Pella

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 5 SOURCES] The Greek labour union Εργατικό Κέντρο Πέλλας appealed to the government to protect approximately 170 jobs. (Multiple articles)
[● 8 SOURCES] Torg Hellas suspended operations of 11 MERE stores in Greece. (All articles)
[● 8 SOURCES] The European Union included Sergey Shnayder in its 21st sanctions package. (All articles)
[● 8 SOURCES] Similar suspensions of MERE stores were implemented in Latvia and Lithuania. (All articles)
[● 8 SOURCES] The suspension affects about 170 employees. (All articles)
[● 8 SOURCES] MERE's 2024 turnover increased 60.5 % to €11.99 billion, while pre‑tax losses rose to €797 thousand. (All articles)
[● 8 SOURCES] Torg Hellas operates the MERE discount supermarket chain in Greece. (All articles)
[● 8 SOURCES] MERE stores are located in Thessaloniki (Evosmos), Larissa, Tripoli, Corinth, Agrinio, Amaliada, Trikala, Kalamata, Giannitsa, Veria and Ptolemaida. (All articles)