Popov Sergei

Popov Sergei

Career

2021-2024

Sergei Popov has extensive experience in large retail companies. He worked in the agricultural holding Miratorg"," retail chains Five"" and Magnet"." Since 2021, Popov has served as general director of Tabris the chain "" in, Krasnodar Territory where he was engaged in the development of the regional retail business.

Popov joined the Samokat team in 2024 as commercial director for the category of consumer goods. In this role, he was responsible for assortment policy and interaction with suppliers of key product groups of the express delivery service.

2025: Appointment as CEO of Samokat

Express delivery service "Samokat" appointed Sergei Popov as the new general director of the company. The appointment entered into force on July 21, 2025, Popov replaced Alexander Lazarev, who headed the online retailer from 2022.

Prior to his official appointment, Popov served as CEO from May 2025. The new leader was tasked with adapting the company's strategy amid a sharp slowdown in business growth. Alexander Lazarev headed Samokat for three years. Under his leadership, the company strengthened its position in the growing market for express delivery of products and essential goods. The service expanded the geography of its presence and increased the number of dark stores in large cities of Russia.

However, in 2024-2025, Samokat faced serious challenges. Increased competition in the express delivery market and a change in consumer behavior led to a significant slowdown in business growth. The company was forced to revise its development strategy.

Financial indicators demonstrate the scale of the company's problems. In the first quarter of 2025, Samokat's turnover increased only by 9.9% compared to the same period in 2024. For comparison, a year ago the increase was almost 100%, which indicates a radical change in business dynamics.^[1]

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