French retail group Auchan denies supplying products to Russian soldiers

French multinational retail group Auchan has commented on the story published by The Insider, Le Monde, and Bellingcat on the Russian branch of Auchan supplying products to Russian soldiers since the start of the war in Ukraine. The company categorically denies the facts reported by the journalist investigation.

Auchan Retail states that its stores that are still open in Russia are to enable the Russian population to have access to food. The company does not conduct, support, or finance any “charitable” collections for the Russian Armed Forces.

Auchan comments on two examples provided in the investigation. In the first case, the Russian branch was completing an order for the Saint Petersburg CIty Hall. According to the statement, the company could not know where the items would eventually be sent.

“There was nothing in the products ordered during that period that might have led the company’s contacts to suspect a particular final destination,” the statement reads.

In the second example, Auchan clarifies, the “humanitarian aid” collection was organised by the owner of the Kosmoport shopping centre in Samara “who, on his sole initiative, set up a collection point in the shopping centre (non owned by Auchan), and by no means at the Auchan store”.

“As with any buyer, individual or professional, Auchan has no way of knowing how the products purchased are ultimately used,” the company notes.

The Insider, Le Monde, and Bellingcat journalists previously obtained corporate emails of several company employees. For instance, on 15 March 2022 managing supervisor Natalya Zeltser from Auchan’s St. Petersburg office allegedly asked St. Petersburg hypermarket employees to collect “humanitarian aid” from the provided list and send it to an Auchan store in the city. 

The attached “humanitarian aid” list contained lighters, cigarettes, shaving products, and socks. The investigative journalists note that the list had no items for women and children, while cigarettes are never supplied as humanitarian aid.

The media outlets sent a request to speak with the top management of Auchan’s Russia office but were denied any comments. The French headquarters said at the time that the company is not involved in politics and does not aid service members.