Ural-based Zhiznmart chain exits St. Petersburg

The Yekaterinburg-based grocery chain Zhiznmart has significantly reduced the number of its stores in St. Petersburg. Currently, only one franchised store remains in the city.

Apr 19, 2026

The retail chain Zhiznmart, founded in Yekaterinburg, is optimizing its presence in St. Petersburg. If two years ago four outlets operated in the city, now only one is functioning.

As clarified by the company«s press service, the sole store on Maly Prospekt on Vasilyevsky Island operates under a franchise and meets corporate standards. »In 2026, we are not opening new outlets in St. Petersburg, but we do not plan to completely wind down operations in the city,« added the press service.

The chain entered the St. Petersburg market in 2022. The peak of development was in 2023, when 11 stores operated simultaneously in the city, opened both by the company directly and under franchise. By 2024, their number had decreased to four: besides the preserved outlet on Vasilyevsky Island, stores were on Parfenovskaya Street, Moskovsky Prospekt, and Prospekt Medikov.

Zhiznmart operates in the «middle plus» segment with a focus on ready-to-eat food. The founder of the chain is entrepreneur Ivan Zaichenko, who launched it in Yekaterinburg in 2019. Development proceeds primarily through a franchise model, with the total number of stores being about 30. In 2026, the company intends to open new outlets in the regions of its presence — Chelyabinsk Oblast, Perm Krai, and Kazan.

According to SPARK, Zaichenko also owns or is a co-owner of a number of companies with original names:

LLC Bumblebee (revenue for 2024 — 114 million rubles (approximately $1,266,700 at current rates), loss — 3 million rubles (approximately $33,300 at current rates));
LLC «One Should Eat Tasty and Healthy, Not Like in Stores Now» (revenue 110 million rubles (approximately $1,222,200 at current rates), loss — 18 million rubles (approximately $200,000 at current rates) for 2024);
LLC «Full Shelves – Well-Fed Wolves» (revenue — 202 million rubles (approximately $2,244,400 at current rates), loss — 31 million rubles (approximately $344,400 at current rates) for 2024).

The company explained the reduction by all-Russian trends in retail: increased competition, reduced margins, and more rational consumer behavior. «In St. Petersburg, this trend is particularly pronounced: the city is saturated with formats, and those who win are not those who simply scale up, but those who accurately meet audience demand and know how to calculate economics,» noted the press service.

According to independent consultant Mikhail Lachugin, the main reason is the high saturation of the St. Petersburg market with similar formats. «In this segment, we have »Perekryostok«, »Eurospar«, »Azbuka Vkusa« and other stores, competition is very high,» said the expert.

The reduction of Zhiznmart reflects the general trend of network optimization in St. Petersburg. Earlier, for example, the premium supermarket «Pulkovsky» closed its outlet on Krestovsky Island, and the closure of a store on Pulkovskoye Highway is also planned.