Kyiv-located Billa-Ukraine, an enterprise with foreign investment, is to widen the Billa supermarket net in Ukraine to 100 stores by 2015, in particular, it is to open 40 more outlets of various formats in Kyiv.

These plans have been released in a press release by the Ukrainian Real Estate Club with reference to the strategy announced by Billa-Ukraine's top management at a press launch in Kyiv.

According to the statement, 7 new stores will be opened by the company across Ukraine in 2011.

The retailer is not disclosing the sum of its investment in the development of the net.

"The most important thing for the next several years is the active growth of the net, the opening of new supermarkets in Kyiv and Kyiv region, as well as the strengthening of our positions in cities with population's of one million and more," the press release quotes Billa-Ukraine Director General Wojciech Czernek.

"A several years ago an approach to the formats of the stores was very strict – not less than 1600 square meters. By now our approach will be more flexible both in terms of the size and location of outlets. The implementation of a logistics centre project will be conducive to this."

The company has intensions to develop various formats of commercial facilities as part of its new development strategy. In particular, these will be small-sized convenience stores with trading area starting from 500 square meters, and large supermarkets with areas of up to 3,000 square meters as part of large shopping malls, according to Maksym Sabelnikov, Billa-Ukraine's marketing and advertising department.