Expansion Plans Fell Far ShortMERE entered Greece with an ambitious plan to open 80 hard-discount stores over five years. MERE’s outlets resembled warehouse-style facilities rather than conventional supermarkets, a model designed to reduce operating costs and offer lower prices. The sanctions appear to have brought an end to MERE’s operations in Greece after about four and a half years, despite the company continuing to operate following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Ukraine War Changed Expansion PlansThe report says Russia’s invasion of Ukraine dramatically altered MERE’s international expansion strategy. The company abandoned plans to expand into the United Kingdom, while Greece has now become its second major setback abroad.