Moscow Jewellery Plant, a part of Leviev Group, has announced about its intention to organise jewellery stores chain, the largest one in Russia. It is expected that by the end of 2007 the chain will consist of 150 jewellery stores all over Russia. The participants of the market believe that such plans are quite realistic. However, the assortment Plant may be too expensive for Russian consumers (80% of the assortment are jewellery with diamonds) – and this should be thoroughly considered.

According to Denis Adamskiy, the CEO of Moscow Jewellery Plant, currently the retail chain of the Plant includes 61 stores in 23 regions of Russia. By the end of 2006 this figure will be increased up to 75 stores.

Now there are two large retail chains in Russia – Almaz-Holding and Adamas. About ten Russian jewellery companies sell their production via medium retail chains – these companies include, in particular, Yashma Zoloto, Grase, Smolensk Jewellery Centre Kristall, Krasnoyarsk No-Ferrous Metals Plant, Yekaterinburg Plant Yuveliry Urala, Moscow Centre Yuvelir. Premium-class jewellery in Russia has only 2-3% of the market. According to the official statistics, in 2005 the volume of Russian jewellery market amounted to $3.5 bln, import share being over 40%.

Leviev Group has been controlling Moscow Jewellery Plant since 1990. Retail chain is not the only retail project initiated by Lev Leviev. In cooperation with H. Stern he founded a joint venture aimed at organising retail stores in Russia and CIS.