Citilink

Citylink the Russian trade is a discounter network, part of the Group of Companies. Merlion On the market since 2008. As of November 2022, the company has about 900 stores and points of delivery of goods in 400 cities. Russia

Performance indicators

2021: Growth in turnover by 26% to 175 billion rubles

Citylink, which works in the field, on e-commerce February 21, 2022 shared TAdviser financial with the operational results for 2021. The Company continued to increase its turnover, while expanding its geographical presence and increasing expertise in product categories. At the end of the year, its trade turnover increased by 26% compared to the previous year and amounted to 175 billion. In rubles 2021, Citylink issued more than 13.8 million orders.

The main task of Citylink remains the same - to support the growth of the Russian e-commerce market and be a useful service for both retail customers and corporate clients. In 2021, the daily audience of the Internet site at its peak amounted to more than 2.3 million people, and the number of active corporate clients increased to 253 thousand.

The company also continued to expand its presence in cities across Russia. At the end of 2021, 1,069 points were opened in 500 cities of Russia in all 8 federal districts. In 2021, the retail and warehouse network grew 1.5 times to 253 thousand square meters, and the total area of ​ ​ all objects is 400 thousand square meters. meters.

In 2021, 5 new objects of large formats were opened with an assortment of more than 35 thousand product items in stock. Now residents,,, and Saratov St. Petersburg Volgograd Omsk Chelyabinsk will be able to access the widest range of goods in their city. The company also opened full-length stores in the Far East for the first time.

The leading cities in terms of growth dynamics year-on-year were Petrozavodsk, Ulan-Ude, Novokuznetsk, Angarsk, Novokuybyshevsk, which showed an increase in turnover by 8-10 times due to the opening of new points and the expansion of the range in the region.

In November 2021, Citylink opened a logistics hub in St. Petersburg with an area of ​ ​ 14 thousand square meters to expand the range and make faster delivery in the North-West region. In total, the company uses 4 logistics hubs with a total area of ​ ​ more than 138 thousand square meters: in the Moscow region, in Rostov-on-Don, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg. In 2022, the company intends to double its logistics capacity.

As of February 2022, about 150 thousand commodity items are presented at the Citylinka site. The online retailer plans to expand the range to 1 million product items, opening new categories and filling the range of existing ones.

The top categories in terms of sales in 2021 were "Laptops and Computers," "Mobile Communications and Tablets" and "Components and Server Equipment," "TV," "Office Equipment and Peripherals."

According to the data, GFK every sixth laptop in 2021 Russia was sold by Citylink. The most popular product was Sylvamo Svetocopy paper, which was bought more than 115 thousand times, and in buyers' checks most often (47 thousand times) there were SSD Kingston SATA III 240Gb drives.

In 2021, Citylink significantly expanded its range. Trade turnover in new categories increased 2.8 times compared to the previous year. The largest increase in demand was recorded in the categories "Sportinventar" (7 times), "Wheels and wheels" (6 times), as well as 2.5 times increased categories FMCG and children's goods. In 2021, categories were also launched - "Auto Parts," "Construction Materials," "Plumbing," "Fishing," which from the start showed very high growth rates.

In the past year, Citylink launched a mobile application, which at the start was installed by more than 487 thousand people. The application is another element of the Citylinka platform, which involves multi-format and multi-channel purchases, and will also become another channel for expert responses to customers - it will include responses from manufacturers of goods, technology consultants and the expert community.

"In 2021, Citylink continued to grow actively, increasing trade by more than a quarter. We continue to actively develop our retail and warehouse network throughout Russia and over the past year opened 262 new points throughout Russia - from small points of issue to large objects with the best assortments in the city. Citylink not only expands the assortment in its traditional product categories - lectronics and computer equipment, but also actively adds new categories for our buyers - household goods, gardens, auto goods and others, "said Mikhail Slavinsky, CEO of Citylink.

Information technologies at Citylinka

2019: Adapting the site for mobile devices using AMP technology

On December 27, 2019, Citylink revealed that he had adapted the site's promotion for mobile devices using AMP technology. integration Thanks to Citylink, he increased conversions to purchase from organic issuance. search engine Google According to the to data curator of the project, SEO-area expert Citylink Yuri Kalashnikov, the conversion rate on AMP pages compared to the version of the site for mobile devices in November increased by 33%.

The integration decision is related to a change in the priority of indexing in the Google search engine from July 1, 2019 - with a focus on mobile content (mobile-first). To maintain a high level of sales and conversion, the company switched from a mobile version of the site based on SPA (Single Page Application) to an adaptive (responsive) solution, which allowed to increase the coverage of the site pages for mobile users.

Along with an attractive price offer and shares, installment tools and convenient order receipt, adaptation for mobile devices contributed to the increase in sales of partner brands in the second half of 2019 in the current market conditions. According to the forecast, the growth in the number of orders for the 2nd half of the year will be 29.1% (compared to the same period in 2018), marketing director of Citylink Aleksandr Dedov said

History

2023

Consolidation of Merlion and Citylink Procurement

The procurement department of the Citylink chain of stores has become part of the wide-profile procurement department. distributions Merlion This was announced on March 31, 2023 by representatives of Merlio. Oleg Fomenko More. here

Expansion of Merlion marketing teams, subsidiaries and Citylinka

Alexander Dedov has been appointed director of the joint marketing department of Merlion Group of Companies and Citylink. Merlion Group announced this on May 31, 2023. Read more here.

2022

Change of general manager

On November 2, 2022, Citylink informed TAdviser that the general manager had changed in the company. Mikhail Slavinsky, who has held this position since 2014, left the company. His successor was Alexander Lozovsky. Read more here.

Commission Trading Launch

Russian electronics sellers are beginning to actively master the secondary market. So, the resale of used smartphones has already been launched by Svyaznoy and Citylink. Other market participants are also expected to enter the segment. This became known on April 11, 2022. Read more here.

2021

Start rebranding

Retailer Citylink on September 28, 2021 announced the start of rebranding. The changes will be implemented in stages and will affect the visual style of the brand, promotional communications and positioning. The company carried out the last redesign of the logo and corporate identity in 2016.

Citylink's strategy combines expertise, automation, accuracy, honesty and empathy in communication with customers. The company aims to use the symbiosis of human experience and technology accuracy to provide the audience with objective and understandable information at all stages of contact with the retailer.

"Since its inception, our company has sought to provide consumers with quality products at affordable prices based on the current needs of the audience. Citylink is more than a technology and electronics store, we are developing into a multi-category platform, striving to share expertise with the buyer through all communication channels, adapt complex technical terminology to a simple, understandable language, bring services and services to the most comfortable level of interaction, - said Mikhail Slavinsky, CEO of Citylink. - The evolution of the company, the transformation of the market and the expansion of the audience of buyers inspired us to carry out rebranding. It was important for us to preserve the identity of the brand and fill it with more accurate associations. We have a lot of work that has already begun. "

The retailer has updated the logo to a more minimalistic and concise one: the hand with the finger pointing to the button has been changed by a frame with the letter "C," which symbolizes the screen of a smartphone, computer or laptop. The updated logo has already replaced the previous version on the retailer's website. The brand's color palette has transformed, adding cold white, gray-blue and deep dark blue to the company's traditional orange color. The updated palette will be gradually introduced into all online and offline communication channels of the company over the year.

In an effort to create an expert community of the company and an audience, Citylink is increasing the number of communication channels. The retailer has launched its online magazine, where network specialists tell you how to choose and use equipment, answer important questions and test gadgets. Video content with unpacking of new products, tips for choosing devices and unusual experiences is available on the brand's pages in the video hosting YouTube and service. TikTok

The company's product portfolio, in addition to equipment and, electronic engineers was replenished with the following trading groups: auto goods, children's goods, garden and summer cottage home goods, goods from sport the "and rest" category, bathroom furniture, plumbing, electricians and heating. The range will continue to expand.

Sberbank aims to buy Merlion's retail assets at a price of more than $1 billion while its top managers are behind bars

Sberbank is seriously interested in acquiring the retail assets of the Merlion group of companies, including the online retailer Citylink, which is part of it. To this end, at the end of 2020, Sberbank has already conducted a pre-sale audit of Merlion, Kommersant reported, citing its own sources^[1] of ^[2].

According to the surveyed experts, such a deal, tentatively estimated at more than $1 billion, will be able to provide Sberbank with a significant strengthening of its positions in the e-commerce sector to strengthen competition with Yandex.Market, Ozon and Wildberries.

In November 2020, CNews said that co-owners of Merlion Vladislav Mangutov, Oleg Karchev, Alexey Abramov and top manager Boris Levin were under arrest after a denunciation of a participant in hostilities in Donbass. For Merlion, according to experts, a deal with Sberbank would help support the company amid a criminal case against its top managers.

Sberbank declined to comment on the possible acquisition of assets, Merlion said there were no negotiations on the sale of assets and an assessment of the financial condition of the company, Kommersant said.

2020

As of March 2020, the company's infrastructure includes an online store citilink.ru, more than 640 stores and points of issue of orders in 360 cities of Russia. The product portfolio includes more than 700 world brands and 65 thousand items of computer, digital, household appliances, other categories of goods, including garden, automotive electronics, office furniture, and office.

The portfolio of services includes the assembly of computers, installation of equipment, a selection of consumables, electronic keys and signatures, protection of purchases and property, as well as other digital services.

Citylink stores are equipped with terminals for self-registration of orders, payment desks and windows for issuing goods. The company's call center operates 7 days a week and provides round-the-clock support to customers.

Launch of distribution center in Rostov-on-Don

The network of electronics and household appliances stores Citylink continues to implement its logistics strategy and launches a distribution center in Rostov-on-Don with an area of ​ ​ more than 12,000 sq.m. This was reported to Citylinka on July 15, 2020. It is expected that the facility will speed up the delivery of orders for residents of the southern regions of Russia and expand the range of goods available for receipt in a short time.

According to Citylinka's calculations, the opening of the facility will create more than 150 jobs in Rostov-on-Don at the first stage alone. Taking into account the dynamic development of the company and the active increase in the share in the cities of the region, the number of jobs will increase. The distribution center will process orders with goods from world manufacturers of electronics and household appliances, which are part of the company's portfolio. In total, as of July 2020, it has more than 800 brands and 70 thousand items of goods.

The capacity and space of the distribution center will also be used to store the goods of the company's partners, connected according to the model of partner warehouses, which provides for the integration of information systems for data exchange.

Thanks to the organization of the distributed storage model, delivery times to customers in the cities of the region will be reduced by at least 30 hours.

"We are already implementing a strategy of large-scale reconstruction of logistics processes and infrastructure in the regions. This will ensure delivery times and the level of service that meet the high expectations of modern buyers, "said Mikhail Slavinsky, CEO of Citylink . - For the project in the south of Russia, we chose a virtually finished object located in a convenient transport location - at the intersection of the federal highway M4-Don and the Rostov-Volgodonsk highway . We invested about 100 million rubles in its arrangement and adaptation to the company's processes. In the coming years, investments will amount to hundreds of millions of rubles - taking into account the expansion of the portfolio and adaptation for the storage of different types of goods. "

"At the first stage, the distribution center will process orders from individuals and corporate clients of the company," said Alexander Terekhov, Logistics Director of Citylink. "In the near future, for the convenience of customers, the DarkStore format is planned to be launched within the facility."

More than 700 global brands and 65,000 items

As of March 2020, Citylink's portfolio includes more than 700 world brands and 65,000 items of computer, digital, household appliances, other categories of goods, including garden, automotive electronics, office furniture, and office. The portfolio of services includes the assembly of computers, installation of equipment, a selection of consumables, electronic keys and signatures, protection of purchases and property, as well as other digital services.

2019

Turnover increased by 27.6% to 102.8 billion rubles

On April 15, 2020, Citylink told TAdviser that the turnover for the financial year increased by 27.6% and amounted to 102.8 billion rubles (including VAT).

Site traffic grew by 40%, reaching 1,500,000 sessions per day. The increase in the number of orders was 31%.

The positive dynamics of key indicators remains due to continuous work in all business areas. This includes expanding geography, developing the product portfolio and introducing additional services, automating and increasing the efficiency of business processes, expanding and updating the tools for working with clients, and implementing special activities.

For the fiscal year, the company opened 43 additional stores and 133 pick-up points. Increased the area of ​ ​ rented spaces in points of the network with high traffic by 22%. This made it possible to strengthen the presence in cities with dynamically growing demand and ensure representation in other cities, reduce the delivery time of popular goods.

The product portfolio was replenished with 89 brands, including Erisson,, Realme,, Vivo Oppo Clevercel and others. The range has expanded due to the introduction of additional product groups, as well as the connection of partner warehouses. As of April 2020, the company's portfolio includes about 800 brands of world manufacturers and 70,000 items of goods in stock.

The company continued to expand sales channels, connect and develop tools for customer convenience. The chain's stores were equipped with modern electronic terminals for prompt re-purchase of goods on the spot. The company's online store on the Tmall site and a paperless online lending service have been launched. For corporate clients, the electronic document management option is connected.

To increase sales, Citylink adapted the site's promotion for mobile devices using Google's AMP technology. The search engine and filter system on the site have become more convenient.

The first federal advertising campaign on television was implemented.

The comprehensive approach contributed to strong sales dynamics across all key commodity categories during the fiscal year. Growth in the category "Mobile communications" amounted to 48%, in the category "Laptops, tablets and accessories" 29.8%, in the category "Computers and components" 13.3%; "Monitors" 36.7%; "Office equipment" 31.1%; "Large household appliances" 29.4%; "Household appliances" 28.6%; "Home Digital Technology" 21.6%. Furniture sales rose 91.8%. Modern gadgets were especially popular: the demand for smart speakers increased 8 times, for fitness bracelets - 2.5 times.

Sales of services (warranty, insurance, delivery, lending, PC assembly, installation of equipment, etc.) increased by 45.5%.

In addition, the company continued to develop the direction of ensuring the issuance of shipments of partners. In 2019, logistics operator Pony Express joined Citylink's infrastructure. Partners DPD and Pick Point connected additional stores and points of issue of the company.

The company showed positive dynamics of indicators against the background of a slowdown in the growth rate of the retail market. Thus, in the segment of electronics and household appliances, the market slowed down from 18% in 2018 to 5% in 2019, in the segment of online sales - from 35% in 2018 to 21% in 2019.

In 2020, we will continue our geographical expansion. We will open not only shops and points of issue, but also large hubs for the development of the logistics system. We will complete the modernization of the IT landscape and the construction of a "seamless" system in the channels of communication with the client. An important focus will be to increase the presence in the digital environment. We are already preparing an updated company website, a mobile application for customers and an update to the "Personal Account." We are approaching the launch of a dialog interface in Telegram for corporate clients. And, of course, we will work on the development of the company's portfolio and various projects, shared by CEO of Citylink Mikhail Slavinsky

Appointment of Emil Abdulnasyrov Chief information officer of Citylink

On November 22, 2019, the electronic discounter Citylink informed TAdviser about the appointment of Emil Abdulnasyrov as director of information technology. Its main objectives were to improve the efficiency and modernization of IT processes in the company, as well as the further development of client analytics and the CRM system in accordance with the trends of personalization of user experience and client centrism. Read more here.

Opening an online store on the Tmall site

On October 17, 2019, it became known that the electronic discounter Citylink and Tmall announced cooperation - in joint plans to open the Citylink online store on the trading platform platform by the end of October 2019. Read more here.

Empowering a customer's personal account at self-service kiosks

Electronic discounter Citylink on August 23, 2019 announced the expansion of the omnichannel model of interaction with buyers using the function of self-service kiosks. Customers will now be able to use all the capabilities of their personal account not only from familiar devices - a smartphone or PC, but also through network terminals. From August 23, this technology can be tested in the 11th Citylink store in Moscow, located in the Bakuninsky business center. Then the function will become available throughout the network.

Now the buyer in offline stores has the opportunity to check the cart and previously viewed items of the assortment, open a purchase history, issue and track his order. The updated scenario for working with the device expands the optional capabilities of the terminal, improves the convenience of purchases and the speed of receiving an order. With the advent of access to the personal account, the visitor can manage positions from the entire discounter assortment.

To ensure security, users are offered several options for accessing their personal account. In addition to the classic method through a login and password, there is a variation with two-factor authentication (the system sends an SMS code with a one-time login password to the phone number specified by the buyer), as well as the ability to access using a QR code. The terminal is becoming autonomous, safe and convenient for both inexperienced and advanced customers, according to Citylinka.

In addition, the capabilities of the updated software made it possible to consolidate information about the current orders of the buyer, regardless of the access point - contacting the call center, through the site, its mobile version or using the terminal. This helps to speed up the processes of serving the consumer, processing orders.

Terminals have always been a tool to buy, but now they have become a copy of the online store. This is useful for the user, because all information about the products, orders and purchase history that are interesting to him is always at hand. We wanted to achieve intuitive terminal management. The modernized models presented on the network, in terms of appearance and interface effects, repeat the smartphone to which we are all accustomed. It has become more familiar and comfortable to use the terminal, "said Mikhail Zamytsky, Development Director of Citylink.

The launch of the technology was preceded by a testing period. As an experiment, the entrance to the personal account through the terminals was available in 50 Citylink stores throughout Russia. Now this feature will work on an ongoing basis at all points of the network. Entering a personal account completes the first stage of large-scale modernization of terminals and their development on a cross-platform combining website services and kiosk software, the company said.

Availability of Rutoken keys in Citylink electronic discounter

The electronic discounter Citilink"" became the first chain store in which you can purchase cryptographic security and secure storages keys "" enciphering Rutoken from the company. "Asset" The products are intended for the b2b segment and are available for order both at the Internet store and at all offline points, retailer Citylinka reported on July 30, 2019. More. here

Launch of ESD electronic key sales service for b2b customers

Electronic discounter "Citylink," an Internet retailer of digital and household appliances, on March 25, 2019 announced the launch of a service for the sale of electronic keys using the ESD (Electronic Software Distribution) model - a modern channel for the supply of software products online - for corporate clients.

In general, the ESD model complemented traditional distribution channels for box, corporate and OEM licenses. On March 25, Citylink offers this model. ON Microsoft The ESD key is transferred via a e-mail link to download the distribution kit and its serial number. Licenses are ready for installation immediately after receiving an electronic key and are completely equivalent in functionality to boxed versions of the software. One of the main advantages of ESD technology is the delivery time - the buyer can use the software product in a few minutes after making payment, the discounter emphasized. There are also no restrictions on the timing of activation. Information about purchased licenses is available to Citylink customers in their personal account in a special section "Electronic licenses and subscriptions."

{{Quote "Thanks to the ESD electronic key sales service, Citylink customers can quickly and without overpaying for physical media obtain licenses for all Microsoft products necessary for business, including the Windows 10 operating system, as well as various office packages and applications. In the near future, the company plans to expand the list of vendors whose products can be purchased through electronic distribution, as well as make the service available for the b2c sector, - said Elena Rodimova, Head of Software, Citylink.

Microsoft products presented in the Citylink store will be useful to both small and medium-sized businesses - when forming a software package corresponding to business tasks, and to large market players - if it is necessary to make local purchases of an additional number of licenses, according to the company.

Testing in Moscow the possibility of paying for purchases from a sales assistant

On March 4, 2019, Citylink announced that it plans to open 19 offline stores in Moscow with a total area of ​ ​ more than 15,000 square meters. m Thus, by mid-2020, the total number of outlets located in the capital will reach 26 stores. The volume of investments in the implementation of this project will amount to about 620 million rubles.

The next opening of a free-standing (street retail) store is scheduled for March 4 (28 Narodnogo Militia St. 1). In this store, an experimental service model will be applied, which is aimed at optimizing the customer's time from the moment the product is ordered to receipt. It will be possible to pay for the purchase from a consultant seller, bypassing separate cash zones. In the future, it is also planned to connect the opportunity to make payments through the terminal, which as of March 4, 2019 is used to select the product on the spot.

Despite the growth of online sales (+ 30% compared to the previous period), the company is actively increasing its presence in offline, developing the formats of warehouse stores and points of issue.

One of the priority regions for the development of the company's presence is Moscow. The large-scale expansion of Citylink in the capital's market involves the opening of 17 stores in the midi format and 2 smart outlets over the year. The strategy of choosing locations implies, first of all, the choice of retail space in those areas where the retailer was not previously present; such indicators as the traffic potential of the shopping center, transport accessibility, commercial conditions, etc. are also taken into account.

author '= Mikhail Slavinsky, CEO of Citylink ' The Moscow buyer is demanding and selective, which is largely facilitated by the variety of brands and outlets in the capital's market. Like any retailer, we look for and offer modern and interesting opportunities for consumers of goods and services.

Presence of more than 85 stores-warehouses and about 500 points of issue of goods "Citylink-mini"

Electronic discounter Citylink is one of the largest the Russian online. retailers It was founded in 2008. Carries out retail and, and Internet trade electronic engineers household appliances broad-profile goods. According to information for February 2020, the company's assortment includes more than 65,000 items. There are about 750 world brands in the product portfolio. Citylink has more than 85 warehouse stores (including an area of ​ ​ over 5 thousand square meters), about 500 points of issue of Citylink-mini goods, which are represented in more than 330 cities. Russia

2018

The company's total revenue for 2018 amounted to 77.4 billion rubles

On February 18, 2019, the Citylink electronic discounter, one of the digital and Internetretailers household appliances, reported the results of its activities in 2018. The company's total revenue increased by 29%, amounting to 77.4 billion rubles (including). VAT Online sales grew by 30%, reaching 73.2 billion rubles.

Citylink recorded an increase in indicators in all regions: the turnover of structural units responsible for development in the Central Federal District increased by 28%, in the Northwestern Federal District - by 35%, in the Siberian Federal District - by 60%, in the Volga Federal District - by 25%, in the Federal District - by 30%, in the Southern Federal District - by 21%, in the North Caucasus Federal District - by 23%.

In 2018, compared to the same period in 2017, the amount of the average retail purchase check at Citylink increased by 1.5% and amounted to 6900 rubles. Its largest value was recorded in the Southern Federal District - about 7,000 rubles.

In 2018, Citylink expanded its assortment due to the development of a portfolio of additional brands, the total number of which reached 750 (+ 50). The company has increased the number of items available for receipt in more than 330 cities of the Russian Federation - up to 65,000 (+ 10,000).

The most significant share in the turnover in 2018 (about 70%) was sales of common goods from various manufacturers from the categories of computer, digital and household appliances: laptops (growth was 42%), cell phones (+ 32%), TVs/plasma panels (+ 39%), computers (+ 55%), LCD monitors (+ 24%), components (+ 30%), laser MFPs (+ 44%), tablets (+ 13%), monoblocks (+ 80%), washing machines (+ 55%) and refrigerators (+ 40%).

A number of product areas showed significant growth dynamics: headphones and headsets, as well as smart home products, showed double growth, sales of media players and Smart TV consoles increased 2.5 times, sales of game consoles, mini-photo printers and split systems increased three times - 6 and 8 times, respectively.

Among other goods, sales of furniture, in particular chairs and chairs (+ 75%), computer tables (2 times), leather goods (2.2 times), printing paper (3 times), grew most actively.

Among the services in 2018, insurance (an increase of 2 times), digital services (an increase of 2.2 times) developed the most actively.

In 2018, the Internet retailer also increased the volume of issuing third-party orders, adding two partners - Pick Point, DPD (the company also cooperates with Ozon.ru). The total number of orders was 350,000, which is 3.5 times higher than the value of 2017 period. Profits rose 4.5 times.

The company continued to expand the presence of physical points in both large and small cities. Along with the increase in points of issue for the year, 45 stores-warehouses of three formats were opened - "maxi," "midi," "smart," including in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod and other cities. The format of all stores assumes the presence of a warehouse, which occupies about 80% of the area, self-service terminals and delivery windows are presented in the trading floor.

During 2018, Citylink conducted technological re-equipment projects aimed at improving the efficiency of processes that affect both pricing policy and service. In particular, he modernized analytical software, transferred a contact center to an omnichannel platform, and updated self-service terminals.

Replenishment of the network with 600 DPD Pickup points

On November 21, 2018, one of the Internetretailers digital and household appliances and other goods, the Citylink electronic discounter, announced a strategic partnership with the express delivery company. DPD in Russia

The companies plan to develop cooperation in two areas. First logistic provider , it will connect Citylink-mini to the DPD Pickup network, expanding the geographical availability of its services for recipients. In the future, Citylink will begin distributing goods from its assortment through DPD Pickup points. During the year, the discounter will add at least 600 partner points to its network.

Interaction implies integration IT systems of companies for high quality and speed of execution of orders. DPD developed interface software for automatic exchange, and data Citylink adapted business processes in the information system and refined its functionality. Automation has enabled partners to manage ordering and shipping in a single interface, eliminating human error.

In November 2018, the first PVZs of the Internet retailer in six cities of the Russian Federation were connected to the DPD Pickup network. In the near future, more than 50 Citylink-mini points will begin to issue partner orders. Connection of Citylink points in 330 cities will be completed in 2019.

The second stage of cooperation will allow the discounter to expand the geography of Internet sales and delivery of digital, computer, household appliances, garden electronics, automotive gadgets, furniture and office of Russian and foreign brands from April 2019 by integrating DPD Pickup points in remote regions of the Russian Federation into its structure.

DPD Pickup logistics network - as of November 2018, it has over 2,400 points in Russia and the EAEU countries . Thanks to our partnership with Citylink, we will be able to offer online stores an even greater selection of convenient locations for issuing orders.

Pickup is the most popular way to receive an online order. At Citylink, it reaches 80% of all purchases made through the website. Therefore, we strive not only to develop our network of points of issue, but also to expand it through third-party services. DPD has become the third company to now issue orders through our network and the first through which we will begin to distribute our orders. This will add at least 600 additional points to our network.

2016: Share of service products in total network turnover increased by 2 times

In the first half of this year, the economic situation in the country somewhat stabilized, and the buyer was able to form a new consumption model. This provided most major online retailers with increased sales. Already in February, Citylink's turnover grew by 33% compared to February 2015. Consistently positive dynamics began to be traced across all key commodity categories. For example, in the first half of this year, the commodity category "Computers and components" compared to the same period last year increased by 46% in money and by 23% in pieces; in the category "Laptops, tablets and accessories" growth was 27% (in money) and 10% (in pieces); in the category "Mobile communications" - 31% (in money) and 20% (in pieces); "Large household appliances" - 10% (in money) and 15% (in pieces); "Monitors" - 53% (in money) and 23% (in pieces).

And the first 6 months of the year, the share of service products in the total turnover of the network increased 2 times. Sales growth in quantitative terms for the same period also amounted to 2 times. At the same time, sales increased in all service categories. In particular, in the "Computer Assembly" category, sales in units increased by more than 72%, and in "Digital Services" - by 1.3 times. In the 2nd quarter of 2016, there was an explosive growth in the Insurance category - 2.5 times compared to the corresponding period last year.

In April 2016, the electronic discounter entered a new region - the Republic of Bashkortostan, opening a full-length store-warehouse in Ufa. The retailer also strengthened its presence in the regions by opening 9 new points of issue and order (PVZ) of Citylink-mini in 7 Russian cities.

As of 2016, the retailer's assortment includes more than 52,000 items of goods, about 700 world brands. Citylink is represented in 18 federal districts of the Russian Federation and in 195 cities of Russia. The network unites 27 full-format e-commerce centers and more than 270 points of issue and order of Citylink-mini goods.

2015: Network turnover - 36.5 billion rubles

The network turnover in 2015 amounted to 36.5 billion rubles (including VAT); the share of online sales in revenue - 88%; number of visits per www.citilink.ru per day - 355,000 people; 1 million registered users on the site. 21% of buyers visiting the Internet resource from different devices give 50% of the profit.

According to the Analytical Department of Citylink, in 2015 the volume of Russian Internet trade grew by only 10% and reached 780 billion rubles (only the commodity segment, including the cross-border), and the BTiE segment fell by 7-10%.

Notes