Major fish importer and distributor launching chain of seafood shops in Moscow

The Russian Fish Company (RFC) is launching its own chain of seafood shops in Moscow, reports Megafishnet.com.

According to Kommersant, the company can open about 100 premium class outlets to earn a retail margin of up to 50%. But experts say that fish consumption is highly dependent on the income of the population while finding locations of advantage for the stores can be difficult.

RFC is one of the largest fish and seafood distributors in the country. It includes 19 branches in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vladivostok, Murmansk, Novosibirsk, etc. In 2019 RFC grossed at 24.98 billion rubles making a net profit of RUB 603.12 million. RFC Holding is co-owned by ex - Governor of Primorsky Krai Sergey Darkin, who also owns the Nakhodka-based NBAMR big fishing combine.

For comparison, the "Red caviar" chain, according to its own data, has about 110 stores while the "Sakhalin Caviar House" runs more than 50 outlets in Moscow and the Moscow region.

It is believed that sales through its own stores will allow RFC to increase the profitability of the business, as, according to Kommersant, the retail margin on seafood in Russia reaches 40-50% with the high end fish and seafood being the most profitable category.