Connected GC

As of October 2020, the company is one of the largest retailers in Russia, numbering 3 thousand retail stores in 1200 cities of Russia, as well as 23 thousand employees who serve more than 1 million daily

The combined company was formed in 2018 as a result of the merger of the Euroset retail chain and its competitor Svyaznoy. The updated unified brand "Svyaznoy" was presented in June 2018.

History and Performance Indicators

2024: Debt to 5 thousand employees - 476.7 million rubles

The bankrupt Svyaznoy owes 5 thousand employees a total of 476.7 million rubles. This is evidenced by the data published in the Unified Federal Register of Bankruptcy Information (EFRSB) on February 8, 2024.

As they write Sheets"" with reference to this register, employees' applications for the payment of wages due to them continue to be received after the absentee meeting at which the amount of claims was approved. The total debt of the retailer to creditors amounted to 9.92 billion rubles, according to the publication of the publication of February 13, 2024.

Svyaznoy owes 5 thousand employees a total of 476.7 million rubles

The main debt of the retailer accounts for 8.35 billion rubles, financial sanctions - another 1.57 billion rubles. Among the main creditors of the retailer are Sovcombank, Alfa-Bank and a large distributor of Merlion equipment. In January 2024, the court ordered the co-owner of Svyaznoy, the Cypriot company DTS Retail, to pay Alfa Bank 7.6 billion rubles. In 2018, Alfa-Bank and Svyaznoy signed an agreement on bank guarantees for 9 billion rubles. The Cypriot company DTS Retail vouched that Svyaznoy would return the money.

Lawyers interviewed by the newspaper warn that the law provides for various types of liability for non-payment of salaries, up to criminal. Payments will be made from the bankruptcy estate of the debtor. In this situation, Svyaznoy employees have the right to demand from the employer not only a salary. They are also entitled to interest for all the days that she was detained, Georgy Mzhavanadze, partner of the practice of labor and migration law "Melling, Voitishkin and Partners," told the publication.

Interest is charged in the amount of 1/150 of the Central Bank rate for the entire delay period, he said.

According to the lawyer, if desired, the retailer's employees may demand compensation for moral damage from him, but this will require a separate appeal to the court.^[1]

2023

Svyaznoy stopped paying salaries to employees

On September 1, 2023, it became known that the Svyaznoy chain of stores, undergoing bankruptcy proceedings, had ceased to pay salaries to employees. This is due, in particular, to the lack of cash receipts due to the closure of retail outlets.

According to the Vedomosti newspaper, Svyaznoy's management reported financial difficulties in a letter to its employees. According to informed persons, delays in salary payments began in the spring of 2023, and from the beginning of the summer of the same year, employees of closed stores received only the minimum wage. Since July 2023, the company has been reducing the number of personnel, but cash compensation for dismissed employees is not paid.

Currently, due to the closure of the company's salons and the lack of the necessary cash proceeds from entrepreneurial activities in the bank accounts of Network Svyaznoy LLC, there is no money in the amount that allows for timely settlement with the company's employees, the Svyaznoy letter says.

The network faced dozens of lawsuits from creditors and counterparties: the total amount of claims exceeds 15 billion rubles. At the end of June 2023, a monitoring procedure was introduced against the retailer, and Anton Sychev was appointed interim manager. According to Vedomosti, more than a hundred individuals have joined Svyaznoy's bankruptcy case. The plaintiffs are counting on the inclusion in the register of claims against the company of debts to them in the amount of 50 thousand to 500 thousand rubles. According to lawyers, this indicates that Svyaznoy employees joined the bankruptcy procedure, to whom the company does not pay salaries. According to the definition of the introduction of surveillance, Svyaznoy's property is 66 billion rubles, so experts believe that the debt to employees will be repaid.^[2]

Debts - 53.85 billion rubles

At the end of June 2023, the Moscow Arbitration Court introduced a monitoring procedure against Svyaznoy. From the court ruling, the volume of obligations of the cellular retailer to creditors became known - about 53.85 billion rubles.

According to the submitted documents, the total amount of accounts payable... according to the requirements of creditors, including disputes with which the court is considering, is 53 656 815 146 rubles, on mandatory payments - 197 959 220 rubles, - quotes RIA Novosti the "" judicial act.

It also says that by the end of June 2023, Svyaznoy has property worth about 66.7 billion rubles, of which more than 28.3 billion rubles are receivables. Taking this into account, the arbitration agreed with the arguments about the presence of signs of bankruptcy at Network Svyaznoy LLC.

Representatives of Svyaznoy during the meeting asked for interim measures in the form of restrictions on payments in favor of individual creditors. This petition will be considered at a separate meeting. Anton Sychev has been appointed interim manager. The court appointed the consideration of the report of the interim manager to December 5, 2023, Interfax reports.

As a source close to Svyaznoy told Kommersant, the company considered two options for the development of events: either the network will find an investor ready to cover debts, or file for bankruptcy.

The initiation of bankruptcy does not always entail the termination of the company's activities and its liquidation, confirms Konstantin Bogoroditsky, director of the legal department, partner of the Center for Work with Distressed Assets JSC. According to him, in the corporate bankruptcy sector, in about 2% of cases, a recovery or external management procedure is introduced against the debtor, which gives the company a chance to restore solvency.^[3]

Recovery by the court of 548 million rubles in favor of Alfa-Bank

On June 8, 2023, the Moscow Arbitration Court decided to recover 548.4 million rubles from the Cypriot structure of DTSRetail Ltd retailer Svyaznoy in favor of Alfa Bank. We are talking about a bank guarantee agreement dated April 3, 2023.

As RBC writes with reference to the case card, the main debt is 448.6 million rubles, the penalty is 66.4 million rubles, the interest on the contract is 30.4 million rubles, and the penalty for overdue interest is 3 million rubles. The dispute was considered in less than three months - the lawsuit was filed at the end of March 2023. There are no details about the basis of the debt in the public materials of the case, and the motivation for the dispute has not yet been published.

During the meeting, the representative of Alfa-Bank explained to the judge that he was not aware of any negotiations on a peaceful settlement of the case with the defendants and representatives of third parties (Network Svyaznoy LLC and the Russian legal entity Samsung - Samsung Electronics Rus Company LLC). He refused to answer additional questions from RBC.

At the end of 2022, creditors and counterparties filed about 79 claims against Svyaznoy for a total amount of more than 14.26 billion rubles. Alfa-Bank filed two more lawsuits in March 2023 - the first for 7.67 billion rubles, the second for 548 million rubles.

Thus, Merlion managed to recover 5.1 billion rubles of debt from the company under four contracts. A penalty was included in this amount. The courts also recovered 838.6 million rubles from the debtor in favor of VimpelCom. At the suit of Alfa-Bank for 5.99 billion rubles, the court approved the settlement agreement. According to a dispute with Sovcombank for 2.45 billion rubles. "Svyaznoy" also went to the world.^[4]

New President - Andrey Taraburin

In mid-March 2023, it became known about the change of president of Svyaznoy. This position was taken by a former member of the board of directors of Svyaznoy Bank JSC Andrei Taraburin, replacing Alexei Vukolov, who headed the retailer for less than a year. Read more here.

Initiation of bankruptcy

On February 14, 2023, it became known about Svyaznoy's decision to file a bankruptcy petition with the Moscow Arbitration Court. This decision was preceded by numerous lawsuits from partners and creditors.

In connection with the appearance of the limited liability company "Network Svyaznoy" (TIN 7714617793, OGRN 1057748288850, KPP 771401001) signs of bankruptcy provided for by Art. 3 of the Federal Law of 26.10.2002 N 127-FZ "On Insolvency (bankruptcy) "and in accordance with Clause 2, Clause 4, Article 37 of the Federal Law of 26.10.2002 N 127-FZ" On Insolvency (bankruptcy) "the applicant intends to apply to the arbitration court with an application for recognition of the Limited Liability Company" Network Svyaznoy "bankrupt, - said on the website of Fedresurs.

Among the creditors are Sovcombank, Alfa-Bank, Merlion, RB Factoring, VimpelCom. In October 2022, Sovcombank, to which the retailer owed 2.5 billion rubles, announced its intention to initiate the bankruptcy of Svyaznoy; in January 2023, the Aviapark shopping center made a similar statement.

By February 2023, the Svyaznoy chain has 2,600 stores in 1,100 cities of Russia. They employ about 13 thousand sales consultants.

After the start of the military special operation of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, foreign equipment manufacturers stopped supplying their goods to Russia. This was a strong blow to Svyaznoy's business, the network was unable to supply equipment under contracts concluded back in 2021. In July 2022, claims for non-fulfillment of obligations began to pour into the retailer.

Oleg Permyakov, partner of the law firm Rustam Kurmaev and Partners, believes that Svyaznoy will cease to exist if it cannot restructure its debts. In Russia, most procedures end with the sale of the debtor's property with its subsequent exclusion from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, he added.^[5]

Merlion sued Svyaznoy 5 billion rubles due to debts for the supply of Apple and Xiaomi devices

In January 2023, the Moscow Arbitration Court partially satisfied Merlion's claim against Svyaznoy. In his complaint, the IT distributor demanded from the defendant over 4 billion rubles in debt under four contracts and a penalty of 1.1 billion rubles. The court fully recovered the debt, but halved the penalty.

According to the publication "Право.ру," Merlion demanded 2.8 billion rubles of debt and 701.6 million rubles of forfeit under one contract; 1.2 billion rubles of debt and 297.1 million rubles of penalty - in another way; 301.6 million rubles of debt and 79.6 million rubles - for the third; 8.3 million rubles of debt and 2.1 million rubles of forfeit under the fourth contract. The parties concluded all four agreements in 2021.

In a counterclaim, Svyaznoy asked the court to change the terms of the disputed agreements. The Moscow Arbitration Court recovered 4.41 billion rubles of principal debt and 598.1 million rubles of penalties from the chain of stores. The amount of the penalty was reduced taking into account the bankruptcy moratorium in force in 2022.

We are talking about four equipment supply contracts concluded between the parties in 2021. The concluded contracts involved the supply of Apple, Xiaomi and Digma equipment to Svyaznoy (a brand of the Merlion group) with a 90-120 day deferred payment. For goods sold only through the Svyaznoy online store, payment should have been made within 30 days from the date of delivery.

Merlion claims that Svyaznoy did not pay for the goods shipped, without denying the fact of the debt. The amount of debt is 4.4 billion rubles. Svyaznoy objected to the satisfaction of the stated claims. The company indicated that there was no evidence of the supply of Merlion goods in the announced volumes, but the court did not agree with this argument.^[6]

2022

VimpelCom sued 839 million rubles from Svyaznoy

In December 2022, the Moscow Arbitration Court, at the suit of the mobile operator PJSC Vympel-Communications, decided to recover about 839 million rubles from the company Network Svyaznoy LLC for unjust enrichment.

With a condication lawsuit against Svyaznoy related to the requirements to return the amounts of unjust appeal, VimpelCom appealed to arbitration in early August 2022.

According to RIA Novosti, in favor of the plaintiff, the court recovered over 828 million rubles of unjust enrichment and more than 10 million rubles as interest for the use of other people's funds.

According to the Interfax agency, VimpelCom and Svyaznoy had an agreement on the sale of telecommunications operator services. In early June 2022, Svyaznoy unilaterally terminated this agreement, after which VimpelCom demanded the return of the advance paid for 2022.

Earlier, Alfa-Bank and Sovcombank filed financial claims against Svyaznoy in court. The amount of their claims amounted to about 6 billion and 2.9 billion rubles, respectively. The total number of lawsuits filed exceeded 70.

The reason for the multimillion-dollar claims was Svyaznoy's failure to fulfill obligations under contracts. The total amount of claims in the middle of this year reached 14 million rubles, notes Businessman""

Svyaznoy's financial difficulties began after the start of a military special operation of the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine, which provoked a violation of logistics chains among many suppliers, especially in the field of sales of technically complex goods.

To avoid a massive series of bankruptcies, the Russian government introduced a moratorium on bankruptcies by October 1, prohibiting bankruptcy proceedings at the request of creditors. Now the moratorium has ended, and the risks of bankruptcy for many companies have increased. ^[7]

MegaFon sold its stake in Svyaznoy

MegaFon withdrew from Svyaznoy's capital, said Khachatur Pombukhchan, general director of the telecommunications operator, in early December 2022. However, he did not disclose the details of the transaction, including the name of the buyer.

Everything I can say: we are no longer shareholders of Svyaznoy, and our decision is not connected with the work and efficiency of Svyaznoy itself, "he said in a conversation with RBC.

According to Pombukhchan, Svyaznoy has nothing to do with the telecommunications market, and the focus on this company takes time, the efforts of the team and is useless.

As the head of MegaFon noted in early December 2022, over the past few years, the company has actively advanced in the development of its own retail network, it completely covers the needs of the operator. At the same time, MegaFon retained commercial and partnership contracts with the retailer, the head of the operator added.

According to Pombukhchan, MegaFon continues to be interested in buying assets.

We are collecting a full-fledged expanded IT expertise and putting things in order with what Megafon is and what assets we need: they must be either fully telecommunications or 100% complementary to telecom, "he explained.

In addition to the development of the main business, the operator looks towards the b2o segments (working with other operators), b2g (working with government agencies) and b2b (corporate segment).

Due to the departure of Microsoft and other Western vendors, a supply vacuum has formed on the market with a huge demand for cloud solutions, cybersecurity solutions, office, etc. For us, these are great opportunities, - summed up Pombukhchan.

By the beginning of December 2022, the Svyaznoy chain has more than 2.6 thousand stores in 1.1 thousand cities of Russia, according to the company's website.^[8]

Conclusion of a settlement agreement with Sovcombank on a debt of 2.9 billion rubles

On December 1, 2022, the Moscow Arbitration Court published its ruling approving the settlement agreement between Sovcombank and Svyaznoy. The credit institution filed a lawsuit demanding to recover more than 2.9 billion rubles from the largest cellular retailer in Russia.

In accordance with the terms of the agreement reached, Network Svyaznoy LLC will have to pay Sovcombank about 2.6 billion rubles in several payments by the end of 2025. At the same time, the bank refused to recover about 315 million rubles of the penalty from the defendant. Interest will be charged on the balance of the principal debt on a monthly basis.

Svyaznoy also assumed obligations without the consent of Sovcombank not to change the composition of participants and ownership structure, as a result, the share of Oleg Malis may become less than 51%, not to pay dividends, not to provide loans, guarantees and guarantees in the amount of more than 200 million rubles a year, not to reduce the authorized capital, not to make transactions on the alienation of property, accounting for more than 5% of the defendant's assets, except for transactions in the ordinary course of business for the sale of goods.

According to the Prime agency with reference to the judicial act, Svyaznoy had obligations to Sovcombank from factoring agreements, according to which the rights to claim the retailer passed to the bank from a distributor in the market of information technology, household appliances, stationery and office furniture "Merlion."

In 2022, several creditors filed lawsuits against Network Svyaznoy LLC for large sums. Among them is Alfa-Bank, which filed a lawsuit for 6 billion rubles. Another 5.65 billion rubles are collected from Svyaznoy by Merlion, 838.7 million rubles - by PJSC Vympel Communications^[9]

Agreement with Alfa-Bank on a settlement agreement on a debt of 6 billion rubles

At the end of November 2022, it became known about the settlement agreement, which Alfa-Bank and Svyaznoy agreed to conclude. The credit institution demanded to recover almost 6 billion rubles from the cellular retailer.

The Bank has agreed with Svyaznoy to restructure its obligations. Termination of proceedings in this case became part of the transaction. The settlement agreement between the bank and Svyaznoy will be considered by the Arbitration Court in December, a representative of Alfa-Bank told Vedomosti.

The press service of Alfa-Bank previously explained to RIA Novosti that the reason for going to court is overdue debt under a factoring agreement. The bank tried to resolve the issue without trial, the filing of the claim was preceded by months of negotiations with the borrower. However, the bank noted, "without the readiness of Svyaznoy Group of Companies management for a constructive dialogue and fulfillment of its obligations," the latter, a necessary measure, remained to go to court. At the same time, the press service added that the bank is open to a dialogue with the company's management to find solutions.

At the end of October 2022, Vedomosti, citing its sources, wrote that Svyaznoy was trying to agree with Alfa Bank on an installment plan to pay off a debt of 6 billion rubles. This process took place against the background of negotiations between the bank and the owner of Svyaznoy, Cyprus-based DTS Retail, in a lawsuit that was in the proceedings of the Moscow Arbitration Court . Svyaznoy itself and the distributor of Merlion were involved in the dispute as third parties.

On November 24, 2022, it became known that the Moscow Arbitration Court terminated proceedings on the claim of Alfa-Bank, which demanded to recover almost 6 billion rubles from the Cypriot DTSRetail Ltd, the main owner of Svyaznoy. At the same time, another lawsuit by Alfa-Bank against the Russian legal entity of the retailer Network Svyaznoy LLC is still in court proceedings. The next hearing on the case is scheduled for December 8, 2022.^[10]

Alfa-Bank filed a lawsuit for 6 billion rubles

On September 8, 2022, it became known about Alfa-Bank's new lawsuit against Svyaznoy. The credit institution continues to collect debt from the retailer.

As Sheets"" writes with reference to the file cabinet of arbitration cases, Alfa-Bank filed a lawsuit against the Cyprian DTSRetail (owner), "Connected" demanding 5.99 billion from it. rubles The application was submitted to the arbitration court Moscow at the end of July 2022, the preliminary meeting is scheduled for mid-September 2022. As third parties "Coherent" , the distributor of Merlion himself was involved in the dispute.

This lawsuit is related to the factoring transaction for the purchase of Svyaznoy: DTSRetail acted as a guarantor for it, and the distributor of Merlion as a debtor, an informed source told the publication.

Under a factoring agreement, the bank makes payments to the supplier, and the retailer is already paying the bank, explained Mikhail Burmistrov, general director of Infoline Analytics. Thus, Merlion delivered the goods and received money from Alfa-Bank under an agreement, and Svyaznoy did not pay off the bank.

On July 21, 2022, Alfa-Bank also filed a lawsuit against Svyaznoy in the amount of 5.9 billion rubles due to delinquency in debt repayment. The bank's lawsuit against the retailer was scheduled for consideration on September 8, 2022. Alfa-Bank asked the court to involve Merlion in the proceedings.

Шаблон:Quote 'The filing of the claim was preceded by months of negotiations with the borrower - for a long time we did not use our legal right to go to court, - said the representative of the bank at the time. Going to court was a necessary measure, he added. According to him, this is "necessary to protect the interests of depositor clients."

In total, more than 80 lawsuits have been filed against the retailer for a total amount of more than 20 billion rubles, the newspaper notes on September 8, 2022.^[11]

Merlion demands 5.6 billion rubles from Svyaznoy in court

Merlion filed a lawsuit against Svyaznoy with the Moscow Arbitration Court, demanding 5.6 billion rubles from the retailer. According to TASS, the application was registered on July 25, 2022, and a day later it was not yet accepted into work. The reasons for the claim are also not indicated. According to Frank Media, all claims were related to the overdue debt of Svyaznoy.

As they write on July 26, 2022, Sheets"" with reference to the data of the database of arbitration courts, since the beginning of the year, creditors and counterparties (suppliers, landlords, transport companies and others) have filed 79 lawsuits against Svyaznoy with total claims of 14.26 billion rubles. Experts interviewed by the newspaper warn of a possible bankruptcy of the network, but admit that the owners of Svyaznoy will provide the company with additional funding and then it can be avoided.

6 billion rubles from Svyaznoy requires Alfa-Bank, another 2.4 billion rubles - Sovcombank. They did not disclose the reason for filing claims. The representative of Alfa-Bank told only the publication that the appeal to the court was preceded by months of negotiations with the borrower.

But without the readiness of the management of Svyaznoy Group of Companies, including to fulfill its obligations, our last, necessary measure was the filing of a lawsuit, the bank noted.

The financial problems of the network worsened the fact that part of Svyaznoy's money could hang with foreign suppliers with whom he worked before, says Sergey Polovnikov, head of the Content Review analytical agency. In addition, obligations have been formed to foreign suppliers related to payment of the previously provided deferred payment, and at the same time, working with new partners or a sharp increase in the scale of orders from previous counterparties (for example, from China) requires significantly more capital than the network has by the end of July 2022, said Mikhail Burmistrov, CEO of Infoline Analytics.^[12]

Claims from creditors for 14.26 billion rubles. Bankruptcy risk

By July 2022, Svyaznoy was inundated with claims for 14.26 billion rubles. The reason is unfulfilled obligations due to economic problems amid sanctions due to the crisis in Ukraine. Since the beginning of the year, 79 lawsuits from creditors have already been filed with the network. Now she faces bankruptcy.

Entry into the market of rental gadgets

On June 16, 2022, the technology retailer Svyaznoy announced that, together with the Арентер.ру sharing platform, a joint equipment rental service was being launched. Read more here.

Alexey Vukolov - the new president of Svyaznoy

On May 20, 2022, Svyaznoy announced the appointment of Alexei Vukolov as president of the company. In this post, he will replace Maxim Onishchenko, who leaves the retailer to take up his own projects. Read more here.

Start issuing orders for medium and small businesses

On April 27, 2022, technology retailer Svyaznoy announced the launch of integration into the system of its Points for issuing orders for medium and small businesses producing goods for end consumers.

Rising prices and changing supply chains create a serious burden on small and medium-sized businesses. To optimize the expenditure part of businesses in terms of logistics and fulfillment, as well as save investments in opening its own PVZ, Svyaznoy makes it possible for all entrepreneurs to register their companies in the Svyaznoy Order Points system, which is more than 2,500 points in 1100 settlements of the country. And send your orders at low rates.

Communication as a fulfillment operator provides services for sorting, storage, packaging and insurance of goods, processing the return flow, SMS informing the client and receiving imposed payments.

Svyaznoy's central warehouse is located in Podolsk and has a capacity of more than 7700 pallet meters and an average shipment of more than 59,000,000 units of cargo per year. In addition to the central warehouse, Svyaznoy has 7 regional warehouses - this is more than 18,000 palletomests.

In the regions, the share of rapid delivery services and warehouse stocks of products is significantly less than in the central region of the country. By providing an opportunity for product manufacturers to integrate into the system of Points of Delivery of goods based on their own stores, Svyaznoy allows you to provide customers with a desired product that could previously be unavailable for some regions. Thus, Svyaznoy connects the manufacturer with the client anywhere in the country.

Taking on board the company and embedding them in the system of Points of issue of orders, we solve their problems of optimizing operating costs, and for the consumer we make a convenient service that allows you to pick up any categories of goods ordered from different suppliers at one point - in Svyaznoy, - said Olga Trotsenko, Vice President for Marketing and Strategic Development of Svyaznoy.

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: Maxim Onishchenko's appointment as president

On August 31, 2021, Svyaznoy informed TAdviser about personnel changes. Yevgeny Davydovich, who previously served as president of the company, is leaving his post. The post of president of the company will be taken by Maxim Onishchenko. Read more here.

2020

Start money transfers through Contact

Remittances CONTACT became available in Svyaznoy stores, as the latter announced on October 16, 2020. Customers payment system got the opportunity to send money Russia abroad and abroad in any store of the network.

To send a transfer, the sender must provide the manager of the Svyaznoy store with an identity document, name his phone number, name of the recipient, country and city of receipt. After that, you need to deposit money and pick up a check with the transfer number. You can get a transfer at any point of the payment system, the full list is available on the official CONTACT website.

{{quote 'In our stores you can buy not only technological gadgets, but also make payment transactions, which are used by more than 3 million people a month. Money transfers are one of the most popular services, so we are actively developing this direction, expanding the geography of transfers and improving the possibilities of financial transactions, "comments Maxim Sledkov, vice president of telecommunications and financial services at Svyaznoy. }}

The presented service, implemented by us together with the Svyaznoy network, is an important contribution to the development of the money transfer network throughout Russia. Now transfers have become even more convenient for our clients who can send money to loved ones wherever they are, "said Sergey Nesterov, head of the CONTACT payment system.

Opening a Design Store with Ecosystems

July 17, 2020 Svyaznoy announced the launch in Moscow of an updated format store with a focus on the transformation of trading space and grocery ecosystems, depending on current demand.

The area of ​ ​ the store is 100 square meters. m. This approach is aimed at making the customer experience more comfortable. For this, Svyaznoy has collected assortments for the most popular ecosystems: Smart Home, Technological Sport, Modern Health and Beauty, Gaming and Travel. A distinctive feature of the store is the designed space in the design format, when the assortment and zoning are transformed depending on consumer demand. In addition, the store has an updated interior design and retail equipment that allows you to focus on brand communication and affect the duration of customer contact with the brand.

The launch of the updated format is an important stage in the development of our retail network. We strive to stay ahead of customer needs by offering a variety of solutions and services. The smartphone is a life control panel, so in addition to the usual products of the network, we are developing ecosystems of devices whose task is to make everyday life more comfortable. Highlighting the key ecosystems most in demand by consumers makes it possible to simplify customer experience and present the most relevant products, - comments Olga Trotsenko, Vice President for Marketing and Strategic Development of Svyaznoy.

The open store is a pilot project that Svyaznoy plans to scale if successful.

Launch of own production of disposable masks

On June 16, 2020, Svyaznoy announced the launch of its own production of disposable masks. This initiative retailer was developed as part of the task of providing retail and central office employees in accordance with the recommendations Rospotrebnadzor and. Ministry of Health RUSSIAN FEDERATION Every month Svyaznoy plans to produce more than 1.5 million units of products.

In modern realities, masks have become an integral part of protecting a person when away from home. Satisfying its own monthly need to ensure the protection of retail network and office employees in the amount of 1.4 million masks, Svyaznoy does not exclude the possibility of wholesale and retail trade in the future. An automatic production line is used to manufacture products. All work is carried out by qualified employees in two shifts. The products are produced under sterile conditions and fully comply with the specifications of the Ministry of Industry and Rosstandart.

We see that restrictive measures are being mitigated in all regions, but despite this, we must continue to provide protective equipment to our employees. For us, their health and safety is a major priority. In the past few months, we, like many other companies, have purchased protective equipment outside, and of course, faced a shortage of them and in some cases, inflated prices. Own production will allow us to uninterruptedly provide our own needs with masks, regardless of the situation on the market, as well as reduce the cost of purchasing protective equipment, "comments Evgeny Davydovich, President of Svyaznoy.

Growth in sales of fitness trackers and smartwatches in Svyaznoy in the first quarter by 15% in pieces and 8% in money

On May 6, 2020, the company "Coherent" announced the results Russian of market development in the wearable devices 1 quarter of 2020. The growth in sales of fitness trackers smartwatch "Svyaznom" in the period from January to March was 15% in pieces and 8% in money. More. here

Possibility of identification in the WebMoney system in Svyaznoy stores

On April 14, 2020, WebMoney announced that the international settlement system WebMoney Transfer has opened the possibility of identification in Svyaznoy stores throughout Russia. Read more here.

23-fold growth in sales of smart home devices in the first quarter

On April 8, 2020, Svyaznoy announced an analysis of demand for smart home devices in Q1 2020. From January to March 2020, sales of smart home devices in Svyaznoy increased 23 times in physical terms and 33 times in monetary terms.

In the first three months of 2020, Russians most often purchased smart sockets, which account for about 25% of all sales in pieces of smart home devices. Smart lamps and smart home control centers were also in high demand. The average cost of devices compared to the same period in 2019 increased by 62% and amounted to 1840 rubles.

Top 3 popular smart home devices:

1. "Smart Socket" Yandex
2. "Smart IR remote" Yandex
3. Xiaomi Mi Smart SensorSet

The house becomes a place where technologies and gadgets help automate household tasks and processes, so buyers also show a high interest in smart speakers, with which you can solve a large number of tasks, including managing a smart home. So, in the 1st quarter, sales of "smart speakers" in "Svyaznoy" increased 7 times in pieces and almost 5 times in money. The most popular devices were both Yandex.Stations models, which account for more than 90% of all sales of smart speakers.

The smart home market is still quite young, but we see how demand for these devices continues to grow rapidly every year. This is due to both the need of people for resource efficiency, and the emergence of various solutions and players, comments David Borzilov, Vice President of Sales, Svyaznoy

Opening of three Svyaznoy Play stores in the Moscow region

On March 11, 2020, Svyaznoy announced the opening of Svyaznoy Play stores. The first three stores for gamers are launched in the Moscow region. Stores consist of zones for testing and selecting gaming gadgets.

In stores of the "Play" format, each visitor will be able to test the most recent gadgets on the gaming market laptops from brands and located in open display Acer. MSI Also in stores are computer peripherals: keyboards, headsets, computer mice and rugs. In addition to product categories for gamers, the store will present "Connected" gadgets that are already familiar to each visitor. All store sellers have undergone specialized training and will be able to provide qualified assistance in choosing the right device.

We see that over the past few years, the demand for gaming laptops is only growing. For example, in 2017, 137 thousand gaming laptops were sold on the Russian market, while at the end of 2019 this figure was already 246 thousand units. Gaming is one of the fastest growing industries that gives millions of people around the world positive emotions. The presented format "Connected Play" is intended to become a point of attraction for everyone who is interested in gaming, comments David Borzilov, Vice President of Sales, Svyaznoy

In each store "Svyaznoy Play" there is an electronic catalog, where an assortment of gadgets for gamers is collected. With the help of an electronic catalog, you can choose the product of interest, compare prices, and also order goods with delivery to any Svyaznoy store in the country, home or any other place convenient for receiving goods.

Previously retailer launched stores of the "Svyaznoy Plus" format with goods for smart home"." In special areas, visitors can test through the voice commands of a device Yandex running "":, Alice smart speaker "" Yandex.Station smart outlet, remote control and other devices. Also in the store there are demonstration areas with devices for the "smart home" from brands and: Rubetek - Redmond wi-fi video cameras, "smart" bulbs, various types of sensors: smoke, openings, gas leaks, water leaks, movement.

2019

More than 4X Growth in Smart Home Devices

On January 17, 2020, Svyaznoy announced the results of its own sales of smart home devices in 2019. From January to December 2019, sales of smart home devices in Svyaznoy increased 3.5 times in physical terms and more than 4 times in monetary terms. Read more here.

Launch of Svyaznoy Service centers in Vologda and Ufa

On December 4, 2019, Svyaznoy announced the launch of its own authorized service centers, Svyaznoy Service. Now customers can quickly get advice and help from an engineer right in the retailer's stores. Service centers have already been launched in Vologda and Ufa, and by the end of 2019 it is planned to open in Moscow, Krasnoyarsk, Voronezh and Ryazan.

"Connected Service" is a dedicated area in the company's stores. An on-site engineer will diagnose the device and, depending on the degree of breakdown of the gadget, will offer a further action plan to the client. In authorized centers of Svyaznoy Service, customers will be able to receive services for warranty repair, repair of phones under insurance policies, insurance of BU equipment, quality control, as well as technical advice. Warranty repairs are carried out regardless of the store where the device was purchased: this one can be either Svyaznoy or any other store. It is enough to carry a receipt for the purchase of goods. Smartphones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches and much more are accepted for repair.

We aim at speed, quality and accessibility for each customer, so launching Svyaznoy Service centers in our own stores is part of our strategy for developing the company's customer service. We understand that this format will become an integral part of the stores of the future, where we can surround the client with 360 ​ ​ degree services. The main advantage of contacting Svyaznoy Service is the ability to repair the gadget in the shortest possible time. Repair in 30 minutes here and now is another service of our company that makes the life of customers more convenient. Svyaznoy is not only a smartphone seller, but also a player in the high-tech services market. In 2020, it is planned to open several dozen more such centers in different cities of the country, comments Andrey Agapov, Service Director of Svyaznoy

All engineers pass mandatory certification from manufacturers of equipment, constantly improve their qualifications and can easily diagnose many problems already on the spot and perform repairs - replacing the main boards, repairing moisture protection models, complex electrical repairs and others. For repair, equipment certified by manufacturers is used and the technology of work is strictly observed. Thanks to the qualification of licensed service employees, a high proportion of repairs are carried out without sending to factories. In the case of shipment, courier services are used, which makes it possible to ensure the shortest possible repair work.

Evgeny Davydovich - the new president of the group

On November 28, technology retailer Svyaznoy announced the appointment of Yevgeny Davydovich as president of the company. Read more here.

Completion of integration of Svyaznoy and Euroset retail chains and change of CEO

On May 28, 2019, Svyaznoy Group announced the successful completion of the integration of Svyaznoy and Euroset retail chains. As a result of the merger of companies, a single IT infrastructure was formed, a transition to a single logistics system was carried out, and legal entities of operating companies were merged. The integration resulted in the emergence of a large player on the Russian market with great growth potential.

Oksana Guskova from June 1, 2019 was appointed General Director of the Svyaznoy Group. Alexander Malis, who previously held this position, left the post.

Selling hundreds of iPhones for pennies due to program glitch

On April 18, 2019, a failure occurred in Svyaznoy's IT system, as a result of which prices for smartphones in the retailer's online store were significantly reduced. Customers took advantage of this and purchased hundreds of devices for nothing.

There was a planned replacement of the software. In the process, there was a failure, as a result of which incorrect prices were displayed on the site for 15 minutes, - the press service of the combined company Svyaznoy Euroset told RIA Novosti.

According to the agency, the iPhone 8 with 64 GB of memory could be booked for 5.99 thousand rubles, and the iPhone 7 with 32 GB of memory - for 4.99 thousand rubles. After the restoration of the site, these models began to cost 44.99 thousand and 34.49 thousand rubles. respectively. During the incorrect operation of the Svyaznoy online store, it was possible to order "archive" phones for 49 rubles.^[13]

854 people managed to order gadgets at prices much lower than market prices. The company promised to give smartphones to all the lucky ones.

Everyone who managed to make orders will receive the goods at the same price as at the time of the order. Buyers who ordered phones discontinued will receive modern smartphones at the price that was at the time of the order, the press service assured.

At the end of March 2019, Svyaznoy mistakenly opened pre-orders for the purchase of AirPods at the price of a wireless case for 6490 rubles instead of 13,490 rubles. Then the company canceled all paid orders, explaining that the products were promotional and ended.

Earlier, Apple CEO Tim Cook promised to lower prices for flagship iPhone models in countries where the local currency is weakened against the dollar. It was reported that the cost of smartphones could be reduced in Russia, India, China and Brazil.

2018

Online sales growth of 34%

The combined company Svyaznoy Euroset on February 11, 2019 summed up the results of online sales for 12 months of 2018. From January to December 2018, in the svyaznoy.ru, euroset.ru and electronic catalog of the company, sales growth year-on-year in monetary terms amounted to 34%. By the fourth quarter of 2018, the share rose to 25% in monetary terms.

In 2018, the turnover from purchases through electronic catalogs amounted to 30% of the total turnover of the online channel and increased by 12% compared to 2017. Also, buyers began to issue installments online more often. The growth was 105%, and the most popular installment plan was "0-0-10."

The most popular products in online stores svyaznoy.ru, euroset.ru at the end of 2018 were smart watches and fitness trackers - online sales increased by 99% year-on-year, and game consoles were in second place with an increase of 30%. The largest number of online orders in 2018 was issued from desktops - 55% of all online purchases, from smartphones - 40%, and the smallest number of transactions were made from tablets - 5%.

The driver of sales growth in the online channel was an increase in the number of points of issue of orders connected to delivery, the appearance of electronic catalogs in Euroset stores, an improvement in the operation of the call center, as well as the development of other business processes. In addition, the growth is influenced by improved opportunities for purchasing goods, - said Oksana Guskova, senior vice president of the combined company Svyaznoy Euroset.

84% increase in sales of smart home equipment in money

On January 23, 2019, Svyaznoy-Euroset reported an increase in sales of smart home equipment by 84% in monetary terms at the end of 2018 compared to 2017, in unit terms the growth was 16%.

Among the main reasons for popularity are the penetration of technologies into the spheres of a person's everyday life, the desire of residents for resource efficiency, savings, as well as comfort and safety. The average check for gadgets in this segment also increased markedly in 2018 and amounted to 3200 rubles, which is 60% higher than in 2017.

A person literally cannot imagine his life without gadgets. Active users of mobile devices work on a smartphone, talk on wireless headphones, measure their physical activity using a fitness tracker, and use a voice assistant to surf the Internet. And home is also becoming a place where technology and gadgets help automate everyday tasks and processes. In 2018, IP and Wi-Fi cameras were the most popular in Svyaznoy and Euroset - their sales increased 30 times; sales of smart sockets soared by 183%, and smart floor scales - by 70%.

author '= David Borzilov, vice president of sales at the combined company Svyaznoy-Euroset ' In Svyaznoy, in Flex stores, in the "Home" section, there is a large selection of gadgets for the "smart home." Personally, for example, I have been using door opening/closing sensors for a long time. It's very convenient. Especially when you are on a long trip. The smart sensor is synchronized with the mobile application in my smartphone and, if movement is detected in the apartment, immediately sends an alert.

Total remittances increased by 4%

On January 22, 2019, the combined company Svyaznoy|Euroset reported an increase in remittances in its stores by 11% compared to 2017. The total number of transfers increased by 4% compared to 2017. The average amount of one money transfer increased by 12% and amounted to 15 thousand rubles.

The most popular area for the financial transaction was the CIS countries, which accounted for 93% of all transfers. Most often, Svyaznoy and Euroset customers sent money to Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. European countries accounted for 0.4% of all transfers. Asia accounted for 0.6%, Africa - 0.6%, Australia, North and South America - 0.4%. The share of domestic transfers amounted to 5%. The most popular Russian cities to which transfers are carried out were Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk.

Our stores are universal points where you can solve a large number of everyday tasks within one window: pay for utilities, replenish and issue bank cards, repay all types of loans and much more. We also see that money transfers are one of the most popular and sought-after services.

Announcement of a single brand and concept for the development of Svyaznoy

On June 6, 2018, as part of the merger of Svyaznoy and Euroset, a development concept was presented, according to which Svyaznoy becomes a place for updating knowledge about the possibilities of the digital world. The changes will affect all areas of activity: from stores and services of the company to communication strategy and branding.

In particular, the combined company presented an updated single brand - Svyaznoy. An updated approach to sales, customer engagement, visual image and store format was presented.

An updated visual solution was developed by Ctzn. For Svyaznoy, the main constants of the corporate identity were created: a simple readable logo, an animated sign (log in the letter "y"), a proprietary unique font Svyaznoy Sans with characteristic signs (alternates), as well as a color palette. In communication, it was decided to move away from pastel colors: they were replaced by bright and strong colors with basic purple. Work on the identity lasted a little less than a year.

When working on a new format of stores, attention was paid to each point of interaction between the buyer and the Svyaznoy brand, detailed UX-maps of customer behavior were created. Based on them, the concept of zoning and an approach to organizing space was developed, which made it possible to present digital devices and content in Svyaznoy stores as an ecosystem. Depending on the interests of buyers, devices, services and content in Svyaznoy are combined into the main ecosystems: "Sport," "Entertainment," "House," "Health," "Work" and many others. Now in Svyaznoy you can get a set of solutions relevant to the interests of customers - from a subscription to fitness training to "smart" sneakers, if, for example, the buyer does not represent his life without sports.

From the very beginning, we put a certain dualism of consciousness into the DNA of the united company. From the point of view of the competitive environment, we are absolute introverts, it is only important for us what we produce products and services, what we look like and how we see our own future. From the point of view of interaction with the buyer, we are, of course, extroverted. Relations with our clients are extremely important for us, their opinion and emotions are important for us, "said Oleg Malis, founder of the SLV group. ­

We have come together to concentrate on the development of retail technologies. We need to make sure that everyone can find solutions in the Connected for themselves. The company will focus on sharply expanding opportunities for the buyer and will erase any boundaries so that everything most relevant, useful and necessary is available in Svyaznoy, - added Alexander Malis, CEO of the combined company.

Euroset merges with Svyaznoy

The operator Megaphone"" announced in April 2018 that it had reached an agreement on the merger of its retail chain Euroset"" with a competitor - the network Coherent"." The corresponding agreement was signed by Megafon with the owner "Connected" - the Solvers group (SLV) of the entrepreneur Oleg Malis^[14]

As part of the deal, Megafon's subsidiary, Lebford Investment offshore, will transfer 100% of the shares of Euroset offshore, which owns the group's operating companies, to Euroset Cyprus-based DTSRetail. This structure is now the owner of Svyaznoy.

Megafon will have a 25.1% stake in the combined company through Lebfrod Invetsments and two seats on the board of directors (the total number of seats on the board of directors has not been disclosed). The Solvers group will have control over the combined company.

Megafon claims that the combined company will include 5 thousand salons, which will allow this company to become the world's largest retail chain in the field of high technologies.

The revenue of the combined company in 2017 is 22 billion rubles. The company employs 30 thousand employees, 2 million people visit its salons every day.

As of August 2018, the company has 5.5 thousand stores in 1300 cities of Russia.

2017

Revenue from 3PL-logistics of commercial cargo - 1.6 billion rubles

On August 8, 2018, the combined company Svyaznoy|Euroset announced that its revenue from 3PL-logistics of commercial cargo in 2017 amounted to 1.6 billion rubles. In 2018, the company plans to increase it to 2.5 billion rubles.

The number of partners of the retailer, as of August 2018, reaches 50 companies, including,,,,, MegaFon Lamoda Ozon Avon Daughters & Sons Mamsy, jewelry companies and many others. Svyaznoy|Euroset ships more than 700 thousand units of goods per day and covers geography in 1,500 cities. The company delivers more than 120 thousand purchases every month and by the end of 2018 intends to increase the number of delivered orders to 200 thousand units. According to the results of the first half of 2018, 17% of orders from Svyaznoy and Euroset fell on delivery, and 83% - on pickup.

After the start of the project in 2011, the company planned to occupy 10% of the Russian express delivery market within three years. As of August 2018, the retailer's share in the commercial cargo logistics market among mobile retail stores (up to 100 m ²) reaches 30%. And within two years we plan to increase this share to 60%, - said Maxim Bobkov, director of the logistics department at the combined company Svyaznoy Euroset.

The retailer also plans to launch its own large-scale courier delivery project, which will allow delivering orders not only to chain stores, but also by courier to the buyer's door. At the initial stage of this project, the company expects to earn 200 million rubles a year.

As conceived by the company, courier delivery will be available for any new partner of the retailer, and the pilot company plans to launch with current partners, of which in August 2018 there are more than 50. Courier delivery of the combined company Svyaznoy|Euroset will be carried out by employees of the retailer and regional delivery partners.

Cstore revenue up 30%

In 2017, the revenue of premium retailer Cstore (Premium Apple Reseller chain of stores developed by Svyaznoy) increased by 30% compared to 2016. Among the key growth drivers are the launch of a separate site - the Internet c-store.ru store, the release of new products, high interest in Apple products, as well as the popularity of additional services and credit products in chain stores and on the site. Cstore sales growth in pieces for the past year amounted to 13%.

The number of online orders for 2017 - from the start of the site in the second quarter to the end of the year - increased 4 times (April 2017 compared to December 2017).

Products featured in Cstore include: iPhone, iMac/MacBook, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, Beats headphones and portable speakers, among other accessories. The iPhone was the most popular in 2017. The top 3 most popular models include the iPhone SE 32Gb, iPhone 6 32Gb, iPhone 7 in 32Gb and 128Gb configurations. And the largest revenue of Cstore was brought by the iPhone 7 and iPhone X.

In 2017, the laptop segment, the MacBook, showed growth at Cstore. Over the past year, sales of this category of products from Apple on the Cstore network increased by 55% in pieces and by 62% in rubles, sales of iPad tablet computers increased by 50% in rubles and by 38% in pieces. Sales of iMac personal computers in Cstore in pieces increased by 15%, and in rubles by 11%.

In 2017, Cstore's range expanded with its Native Union accessories brand as well as Apple Watch Series 3, iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, iPhone 7 RED, iPhone X, MacBook Pro/Air 2017, iMac 2017, iPad 2017 and Apple TV 4K.

Since August 2017, the trade-in program on the iPhone has become available in Cstore stores, at which customers can purchase the 5s at a reduced price, 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, SE, 7, 7 Plus, 8, 8 Plus, X. To purchase an iPhone in Cstore by trade-in, so that the handover device is purchased from the official seller of Apple equipment and is in working order.

Up to 25% of all sales came from the online store

The Svyaznoy online store showed a record increase in key indicators in 2017 - the growth in turnover amounted to 42% compared to 2016, which is significantly higher than the growth indicators of the entire market (+ 28% *). The svyaznoy.ru turnover increased throughout 2017, as a result of which the share of the Internet direction in the retailer's turnover in money reached 25% in November. Conversion from online sales channels in Svyaznoy in 2017 increased by 27%.

"In the first half of 2017, Svyaznoy radically changed the approach of free movement of any buyer between sales channels during customer journey, which made it possible to show the maximum increase in the second half of 2017, when the retailer's turnover increased by 73% relative to the results of the second half of the 2016," - said the commercial director of Svyaznoy Ivanova Dagmar. "

This result was influenced, among other things, by factors such as the expansion of the range of the online store, profitable marketing offers and the ability to purchase goods in installments, the introduction of expanded lending options and an increase in the approval rate of loan applications. Also in 2017, the interface of the online store was improved, the logistics processes of the company were improved, which ensured the maximum convenience of receiving and availability of orders.

In 2017, the turnover from purchases through electronic catalogs amounted to 28% of the total turnover of the online channel and increased by 61% compared to 2016. This was influenced by significant changes and improvements in the work in this channel, as well as an increase in the number of outlets where buyers can receive goods ordered through an electronic catalog.

At the end of the past year, buyers of Svyaznoy's online store and electronic catalogs began to issue installments and loans for goods 6.4 times more, and the most popular was the 0-0-10 service, which allows you to purchase a gadget in installments for 10 months without a down payment and interest.

The most popular products in the Svyaznoy online store in 2017 were smartphones - an increase in online sales by 48%, and laptops in second place with an increase of 45%. By the way, at the end of the year, sales from mobile devices showed an increase of 121% compared to 2016. The largest number of online orders in 2017 was issued from desktops - 64% of all online purchases, and the smallest number of transactions falls on tablets - 6%.

2016

Globex seeks recovery from Trellas 63 million euros

Globex vs. Svyaznoy owners

Globex Bank filed a lawsuit with the Moscow Arbitration Court against the Cyprus offshore Trellas, which owns the Svyaznoy chain of salons. This was reported by the Interfax agency. A Globex representative explained to the agency that the purpose of the claim was to enforce the London arbitration decision of June 2016. Then the London arbitration ordered Trellas to fulfill the terms of the loan agreement with Globex and pay the bank 63 million euros^[15].

Complex creditor system

Svyaznoy's problems with creditors began in 2014. Trellas, which combined the assets of Svyaznoy founder Maxim Nogotkov, owed the Onexim group Mikhail Prokhorov $120 million. The pledge was a controlling stake in Trellas.

Trellas, through the Dutch company Svyaznoy, owns the Russian Svyaznoy network (legal entity Svyaznoy-Logistics), and the Enter non-food network, Pandora jewelry chain, Svyaznoy Bank and a number of startups were also controlled by the offshore.

51% of the shares of the Dutch Svyaznoy, in turn, were pledged to Promsvyazbank, and the shares of Svyaznoy-Logistics were pledged by Sberbank. In addition, 15% of Svyaznoy's shares were pledged by NPF Blagosostoyanie.

And Globex Bank acquired from Trellas a 5% stake in Svyaznoy for 50 million euros with an obligation to buy this stake back at a premium of 11% per annum. Trellas also pledged another 5% stake in Svyaznoy to Globex.

At the end of 2014, Oleg Malis, brother of Euroset president Alexander Malis, bought the debt to Trellas from Onexim. Nogotkov first transferred control of Trellas to Malis' structures, but then tried to slow down this process and take advantage of the confusing scheme of relations between his creditors. In particular, NPF Welfare received a 15% stake in Svyaznoy pledged to it.

It was also planned to transfer 51% of Svyaznoy shares to Promsvyazbank, but Malis stopped this deal. Ultimately, Malis gained control of Trellas, and in the fall of 2015 he settled a debt to Promsvyazbank in the amount of 6.5 billion rubles.

2015

MTS refused to buy Svyaznoy

MTS no longer plans to buy the Svyaznoy retail chain, despite last year's negotiations on the deal, MTS changed^[16] in May 2015, the operator's president Andrei Dubovskov. According to Dubovskov, with the current indicators of subscriber outflow and the pace of new connections, the company is not interested in spending "tens of billions on this expensive pleasure." "We will better direct this money to CAPEX, shareholder remuneration, debt repayment," he added.

Svyaznoy Group reproached MTS for restricting competition in the market

On June 24, 2015, Svyaznoy announced forced changes in its strategy for working with telecom operators. In the near future, MegaFon, Beeline and Tele2 will remain part of Svyaznoy's partners - it announced plans to enter the Moscow market by the end of 2015.

MTS notified of the termination of the contract on August 23, 2015, the press service of the Svyaznoy Group of Companies reported.

Office of Svyaznoy Group of Companies, 2013

"Starting from this date, we will be forced to abandon the sales of contracts of this operator," said Michael Tach, president of Svyaznoy Group of Companies. - Thus, MTS limits competition between operators within our network and in the Russian market as a whole. This decision will obviously bring significant discomfort to MTS customers. "

According to representatives of the retailer, this step of MTS will not affect the operating and financial results of the company. The total volume of SIM cards sold in 2015 will remain at the same level. However, sales at one outlet will grow, as Svyaznoy periodically optimizes the number of its stores: in 2013 and 2014, the retailer sold 10 million each. SIM-cards annually, the volume remained, despite the work, in fact, only with MTS and Tele2 in 2014. And even in these conditions, in 2014, revenue from sales of operator contracts for one outlet increased by 10%.

"In the first 2 months of operation after the" return "of MegaFon and Beeline, we saw a serious influx of customers of these operators into our network. The traffic of their customers on payments has already exceeded the traffic of MTS subscribers. After MTS leaves our network, the sales volumes of their contracts will quickly be replaced by SIM-cards of MegaFon and Beeline, as well as Tele2, - said Michael Touch. "Moreover, the" exit "of MTS will allow us to increase revenues from the sale of telecom operator services, since commercial conditions in working with operators have improved during 2015."

Until April 1, 2015, when the retailer expanded cooperation with MegaFon and Beeline, MTS's share in SIM card sales through Svyaznoy exceeded 70%. After "entering" the network of two operators of the "Big Three," MTS could still claim a significant share of sales, however, decided to abandon it.

2014

MTS was allowed to buy Svyaznoy Group of Companies

The fact that MTS filed such a petition became known to the FAS on September 15, 2014, when the FAS announced the extension of the consideration of the petition due to "the need for additional consideration of the said petition, as well as obtaining additional information for making a decision."

Earlier, in July, a number of media outlets, citing sources, reported that MTS intends to buy 49% of Svyaznoy. MTS representatives denied this information. The owner of the Svyaznoy Group of Companies Maxim Nogotkov and the general director of Svyaznoy Michael Tach then declined to comment. "Our shareholder has previously announced his intention to attract investments to develop a number of his projects, such as Svyaznoy Bank. We do not disclose the names of investors with whom negotiations were conducted or are underway, "says Maria Zaikina, a representative of Svyaznoy.

"Svyaznoy" did not leave ONEXIM, but moved to Oleg Malis

The Svyaznoy group of companies comes under the control of ONEXIM Mikhail Prokhorov and NPF Blagosostoyanie. As Gazeta.Ru previously wrote, ONEXIM sent Svyaznoy a notice of default on a debt of about 10 billion rubles. According to analysts, now Svyaznoy is waiting for restructuring, during which part of the assets will be sold to^[17].

The ONEXIM group of Mikhail Prokhorov and NPF Blagosostoyanie received 90% of Svyaznoy Group of Companies, the press service of ONEXIM said on Wednesday. As part of the transaction, Svyaznoy's debt burden will be significantly reduced, the press release says. the total debt of the Svyaznoy group of companies Maxim Nogotkov to creditors is 55 billion rubles. At the same time, about 10 billion rubles. Svyaznoy received Mikhail Prokhorov from ONEXIM. On November 7, one of the companies of the ONEXIM group sent Nogotkov a notice of default on the debt, the pledge of which was a controlling stake in the Cypriot company Trellas Enterprises Limited. Through it, all Nogotkov's assets were managed, in particular the Svyaznoy network of communication salons, Svyaznoy bank, Enter online retailer and the Pandora jewelry salon network.

In December 2014, Onexim Group announced its refusal to establish control over the Svyaznoy network. Instead, the group resold the debt of the network owner Maxim Nogotkov to Solvers, representing the interests of Oleg Malis. As Malis clarified to Interfax, the amount of debt he acquired is $130 million, the borrower for this is Trellas Enterprises offshore, through which Nogotkov controls Svyaznoy.

As explained in Onexim, Nogotkov refused to sign a legally binding agreement on the transfer of assets, and instead began negotiations with other possible buyers. At the same time, the failed deal provided for a number of preferences for Nogotkov, they emphasize in Onexim, in particular, he could buy the company back at the transaction price within 6 months.

In addition, a long-term cooperation agreement between Svyaznoy and Svyaznoy-Bank, additional financing of Svyaznoy by Onexim and NPF Blagosostoyanie, Nogotkov's participation in the management of this asset, etc. were implied. However, as noted by the general director of Onexim Dmitry Razumov, the main task of the group was to return the loan, so he is glad that such a problem has been solved.

2013

Grup­pa "Svyaz­noy" for 2013 vklyu­cha­et include:

• od­no­imen­nyy so­to­vyy re­tey­ler,
• kre­dit­nuyu or­ga­ni­za­tsiyu "Svyaz­noy Bank,"
• on­layn - re­tey­ler Enter, and
• network yuve­lir­nykh sa­lo­nov. Pandora

Fin results of the year

The company's revenue "Coherent" in 2013 increased by 17% to 108 billion rubles compared to 91.3 billion rubles in 2012. The profit before taxes and write-offs () EBITDA remained the same as in 2012 - 4.7 billion. The dollars company's net debt was $9 billion.

The average attendance at Svyaznoy salons was (excluding December) 1.7 million people per day, which is lower than at the beginning of 2013. At the same time, the average revenue per store increased by 12% compared to 2012.

Unsuccessful negotiations on the sale of part of the company to Prokhorov

The ONEKSIM group controlled by Mikhail Prokhorov conducts negotiations on acquisition of 50% of the Svyaznoy company belonging to Maxim Nogotkov. Pred­va­ri­tel­nyye do­go­vo­ren­no­sti between sto­ro­na­mi has already do­stig­nu­ty, writes Kommersant ga­ze­ta.

No­got­kov has been looking for neskol­ko for in­ve­sto­rov svo­e­go for biz­ne­sa years. So­ot­vet­stvu­yu­shchiye pe­re­go­vo­ry ve­lis with a number of biz­ne­sme­nov. At the same time, in na­cha­le July, "Svyaz­noy" ot­ka­zal­sya from the so­trud­ni­che­stva with "Vym­pel­Ko­mom." During the presidential campaign of 2012 Nogotkov was the authorized representative of Prokhorov who was the candidate for president.

It was assumed that on the part of Svyaznoy it will include Svyaznoy Bank and a network of communication salons, and on the part of ONEXIM - the insurance company Soglasie and Renaissance Credit Bank and a major player will appear on the financial market. The Svyaznoy group includes the cellular retailer of the same name, credit institution "Svyaznoy bank", online retailer Enter and also network of jewelry salons Pandora at this time.

But later it became known that the deal fell through. The reason for the pause in negotiations on the creation of the holding was the dissatisfaction with the current state of one of the assets controlled by Mikhail Prokhorov ONEXIM - Svyaznoy Bank^[18].

2012

Revenue - 91.3 billion rubles

At the end of 2012, the total cash turnover of the Svyaznoy group of companies increased by 70% and amounted to 509.2 billion rubles. The total number of business transactions increased by 26% to 399 million. At the same time, Svyaznoy's revenue grew by 30%, to 91.3 billion rubles, which were actually obtained from the sale of goods and services. The rest of the turnover fell on client payments of various kinds. In particular,

• RUB 337.4 billion in turnover - financial payments (repayment of bank loans and money transfers);
• RUB 48.9 billion - payments of subscribers of cellular networks when replenishing the balance;
• another 29 billion in Svyaznoy's turnover belongs to the category of "other payments" (payment for utilities^[19].

Despite the prevalence of financial transactions in the company's turnover, sales of phones and smartphones remain a strategic priority of its activities. The total sales of those and others in units of products did not grow much - by 3%, to 9.2 million units. But the 66% increase in smartphone sales led to a 27% increase in revenue from the "telephone" direction, to 46 billion rubles. According to its own estimates, Svyaznoy controls more than a quarter (28% in monetary terms) of the Russian smartphone market.

The main stimulant of the growth of the smartphone business in the company is its fruitful cooperation with Apple - the partners have entered into an agreement on direct supply of products.

In 2012, sales of laptops and netbooks, as well as tablets, grew very dynamically in Svyaznoy. Sales of the former increased by 90% over the year, and the latter - more than six times.

The turnover of online commerce through the svyaznoy.ru portal increased by 162% by the end of the year and amounted to 9.2 billion rubles. including VAT. In 2012, sales of tablet computers grew faster than sales of other categories of goods through the Web, they showed positive dynamics at 437%.

In 2012, the company invested significantly in expanding its physical presence in the market. Svyaznoy's mobile communication centers in Russia became 18% more in a year, these are 3322 retail outlets. There are now stores in 886 cities of Russia (against 776 cities in 2011).

Denis Lyudkovsky, General Director and Managing Partner of Svyaznoy Group, called 2012 one of the most successful in the history of the company.

2011

In Svyaznoy, readers have been sold since February 2008. In the first half of 2011, this network sold 17,200 such devices - 23 times more than in the same period in 2010, and in monetary terms the growth was more than 11 times. The retail chain in Russia and Belarus exceeded 3,000 stores, and the company's annual turnover in 2011 reached 299.3 billion rubles.

2010

Creation of a Svyaznoy bank

In 2010, CJSC Svyaznoy Group of Companies and Joint Stock Commercial Industrial and Trade Bank (AK Promtorgbank (CJSC) decided to merge in order to implement a joint project to create a large universal bank on the basis of AK Promtorgbank (CJSC). At the moment, the bank is developing the directions of plastic cards and servicing payments of individuals who will be able to make transactions on their account in any mobile communication center of Svyaznoy Group of Companies. The range of banking services provided to corporate clients is also expanding.

Globex Bank received a 5% stake in a mobile retailer

In the fall of 2012, Globex Bank became the owner of a 5% stake in the Dutch Svyaznoy N.V., the bank said in a statement. Svyaznoy N.V., controlled by the founder of the network Maxim Nogotkov, owns the Svyaznoy mobile retailer. Earlier, M. Negotkov indicated that he was considering the possibility of selling 25-30% of the Svyaznoy group to a private investor. Globex came under the control of Vnesheconombank in mid-October 2008. VEB owns 99.99% of its shares.

Revenue - 55.4 billion rubles

• The company's revenue for 2010 increased by 21% compared to 2009, and amounted to 55.42 billion rubles in monetary terms.
• The total retail turnover reached 145.8 billion rubles, which is 63% higher than in 2009 - 89.5 billion rubles. (Data does not include retail sales in Belarus)
• EBITDA amounted to 4.2 billion rubles, which is 233% higher than the result for the same period last year - 1.8 billion rubles.
• EBITDA margin was 7.5% compared to 4.0% for 2009.
• Gross profit increased by 34% compared to the same period last year and amounted to 19.92 billion rubles.
• Net profit amounted to 2 billion rubles, compared with 0.2 billion rubles a year earlier.
• Net debt of the group of companies at the end of 2010 amounted to 6.05 billion rubles. Thus, the net debt to EBITDA ratio for 2010 is 1.45. The group's debt burden decreased significantly compared to 2009, when this ratio reached 2.58. At the same time, the weighted average interest rate on group loans decreased by 39%.

• In 2010, the company's share in the mobile phone market increased by 2 percentage points compared to the same period in 2009 and amounted to 23.2%, which in unit terms amounts to 8.2 million devices (excluding sales in the Republic of Belarus and used ones). During the specified period, more than 1 million modems (16% of the market) and 8.3 million were sold. SIM cards (8% of the market).

• The geography of the presence of the Svyaznoy network during the reporting period increased by 131 cities or 24% and amounted to 667 cities.

• According to the results of 2010, the number of salons reached 2282. Of this number, 300 outlets are the flagship format of the Svyaznoy3 digital technology gallery. In 2010, 469 outlets were opened, 73 outlets were closed.
• More than 268 million transactions were completed in 2010

• The volume of additional services in Svyaznoy mobile communication centers in the first half of 2010 increased compared to the same period in 2009 in all areas. The turnover for repayment of loans increased more than 3 times and amounted to 6 billion against 1.8 billion rubles in the first half of 2009.

Non-financial payments (utilities, mobile communications, television and others) increased from 12.7 billion in the first half of 2009 to 19.1 billion in the first half of 2010. The volume of remittances increased more than 20 times - from 400 million to 8.6 billion rubles in the first half of 2010.

2009: Remittances in Russia and CIS countries

Since May 2009, Svyaznoy has been making remittances in Russia and the CIS countries, providing a number of financial services - repaying loans, accepting payments for various services. The bonus program of the network called "Svyaznoy-Club" is the largest coalition loyalty program in the country and has more than 11 million participants.

2002

The official launch of the network of mobile communication centers under the Svyaznoy brand took place on April 23, 2002. By this time, the company, which has been operating since 1995, had 81 stores.

Notes