Avocado partners open 840 shops in nine months

Partners of Russian grocery chain Avocado opened 840 shops in central Russia and the Volga region in the first nine months of 2026. According to the chain’s head, Olga Moiseeva, the result exceeded its target. However, openings and changes in the chain’s overall size send different signals — an important distinction for anyone assessing the brand’s development as a franchise opportunity.

What the chain reported

On 20 October, trade publication ShopAndMall reported the results achieved by partners of Avocado, a chain developed by Sladkaya Zhizn Group. Olga Moiseeva cited 840 shop openings across central Russia and the Volga region over nine months. She also said the opening target had been exceeded, although the report did not specify that target.

This figure measures openings during the stated period. It does not mean that the total number of shops trading under the Avocado name increased by 840. Calculating net growth requires accounting not only for shops joining the chain, but also for changes in its existing store base.

Nor should the figure automatically be interpreted as the number of shops established from scratch. Avocado’s announcement does not distinguish between newly established retail outlets and existing shops that joined the chain. The accurate description is therefore the chain’s reported number of partner openings, without further assumptions about how each shop was launched.

Why openings do not equal net growth

According to Infoline data cited by Russian newspaper Kommersant, the number of Avocado shops fell by 1.1% to 5,800 between January and August 2026. The analysts’ figures on the chain’s size and its management’s statement about openings therefore show different aspects of the same brand’s development.

There is no direct contradiction between these measures. First, they cover different periods: Infoline’s figures cover eight months, while Avocado’s head reported on nine. Second, the total number of operating shops and the number of openings are different measures. A steady flow of partner openings does not, in itself, guarantee growth across the chain.

It would also be misleading to calculate closures by subtracting an assumed net increase from 840. Such a calculation requires matching dates, consistent coverage and the same counting methods. The figures provided do not meet those conditions. Moreover, a decline in the number of shops trading under a particular brand cannot, without further information, be equated with those premises ceasing to trade.

Both measures matter to a prospective partner. Openings show that outlets continue to launch. Changes in the chain’s overall size help put that activity into context. Neither measure alone reveals the profitability of an individual shop or the resilience of its owner’s business.

The conditions facing partners

Avocado’s results were published against a challenging backdrop for grocery retail. Alexey Vanchugov, managing partner at Vanchugov and Partners, links the declining shop counts at most franchise chains to low grocery retail margins, long payback periods and weakening demand for franchises.

He also points to high borrowing costs and subdued consumer spending as further constraints. This is an expert assessment of general market conditions, not an established explanation for changes at Avocado specifically. Applying it to every shop in the chain without information about its performance would be misleading.

Data from Franshiza.ru provides broader context: in its findings for 2025, 43% of surveyed franchisors reported declining interest from prospective investors. This result relates to the survey’s respondents and is not a separate assessment of demand for an Avocado franchise.

Meanwhile, Olga Sumishevskaya, a partner at consultancy One Story, considers franchising one of the few ways to sustain grocery chains’ development amid intensifying competition, competition-law restrictions and rising costs for new shops. This assessment helps explain why partner-led expansion remains relevant despite difficult retail economics.

Questions to ask before joining

For an entrepreneur, the announcement of 840 openings is a reason to examine partners’ performance more closely, rather than proof that the investment is attractive. It is worth requesting figures covering the same period: how many shops joined, how many left and how many remain operational. Prospective partners should also clarify how the franchisor counts changes in shops’ contractual arrangements and the rebranding of existing outlets.

The next question is how comparable the shops are. When assessing a proposed investment, it makes more sense to examine outlets of a similar size, in towns with comparable populations and similar surrounding areas, rather than relying solely on chain-wide totals. Opening targets and the actual financial performance of a partner’s shop answer different questions; one should not substitute for the other.

Practical takeaway: Avocado says it exceeded its opening target, while Infoline recorded a slight contraction in the chain over a shorter period. When choosing a franchise, check not only the number of launches but also changes in the operating store base on a comparable basis, and build financial projections for the specific shop you intend to run.