// Decathlon owner Leroy Merlin accused of profiting from Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine

// Leroy Merlin, owned by the Mulliez family, wants to expand its DIY chain while rivals such as Ikea pulled out of Russia

Decathlon owners have been accused of profiting from Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine after setting out plans for a major Russian expansion of their DIY chain.

Leroy Merlin, owned by the Mulliez family, wants to expand as empty units have been left by rivals such as Ikea after they pulled out of Russia.

In a letter to suppliers, the bosses at the Russian arm of Leroy Merlin said that “sales have significantly increased” since the start of Putin’s invasion, The Telegraph reported.

READ MORE: Decathlon online revenue rises despite Covid-19 losses

“Since the disappearance of certain companies from the market, we are open to your proposals on the increase of supply and the increase of your assortment of products,” the letter reads.

“In the next three to four months we plan to fully replace imported products with those produced in Russia.”

Leroy Merlin operates across 112 locations in Russia. Sister company Auchan, one of France’s largest supermarket operators, employs a further 41,000 people across 311 stores in Russia.

Decathlon has a comparatively smaller footprint in Russia with 60 stores.

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