By KYIV. Nov 30 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukrainian retail is quite vulnerable during blackouts and suffers big losses even in the presence of generators; a large retail chain loses millions of hryvnias per day of power outage, said Anna Derevyanko, Executive Director of the European Business Association (EBA).
"The retail sector is quite vulnerable, especially retail that sells, including perishable goods. They, of course, have generators, but, nevertheless, these crazy blackouts greatly affect their operations," she said at a briefing on Wednesday.
Derevyanko clarified that, according to the calculations of one large retail chain, one day without electricity supply cost the company about UAH 10 million.
"For a retail chain, this is quite a big test," the EBA executive director commented on this figure.
According to her, massive blackouts have become a big test for all business sectors. So far, companies are not closing, but some are already considering the possibility of suspending production, Derevyanko said.
The EBA website states that among its member companies are such retail chains as Auchan Ukraine, IKEA Retail Ukraine and Travel Retail Ukraine (Duty-free stores).
