Karavan in talks with Germany's Lidl on discount chain in Ukraine

Karavan is working with German supermarket operator Lidl on launching a discount chain in Ukraine, Alexander Makarenko, Karavan’s director of development said yesterday (via Interfax). According to Makarenko, negotiations are still ongoing. He indicated the new network would focus on regional and municipal centers with populations of more than 100 ths. In other news, Makarenko said that Karavan would open its first Karavan-branded hypermarket in Lviv in fall 2009. Makarenko indicated that the retail chain operator’s other projects were frozen at present.