Carrefour has brushed off reports it is looking to re-enter Russia two years after making a surprise exit from the market.

Russian newspaper RBC Daily said the French retailer had asked its franchise partner in the Middle East, Majid al Futtaim Group, to develop a plan for a return to Russia. Carrefour exited Russia in October 2009, just four months after opening its first store in the country.

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However, a spokesperson for Carrefour told just-food today (19 September): “We deny this information and do not have any further comment.”

When Carrefour quit the Russian market, retail analysts said it made “strategic sense” for the company as it would have found it difficult to become one of the country’s top two retailers.

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