Photo-fact: Face of Belcoopsoyuz

How does Belarus's biggest trading network represent itself?

Lukashenka has found “backwardness” in certain Belcoopsoyuz enterprises. He said it on Tuesday at a meeting to discuss the development of consumer cooperation.

Belcoopsoyuz is the largest trading network in Belarus focusing on selling mainly domestic products. More than 1.2 million customers visit more than 10,000 shops mostly located in the rural area. “To provide the shops and stores of consumer cooperation with goods, the transport depot of Belcoopsoyuz consisting of 6000 lorries is used, the total annual number of kilometers is almost 170 million. It’s more that the distance between the Earth and the Sun,” Belcoopsoyuz's website says proudly.

However, one needs to visit any rural shop to find backwardness of the trading network.

That's what a Salidarnasts correspondent saw in the shop in the village of Pahost (the Salihorsk district).

Only one person works in the shop. The seller reached the pension age some days ago, but managers have persuaded her to continue working, otherwise they will have to close the shop – there are no people wanting to work as a seller in the village.

Belarusians don't need to invent a time machine to travel to the past. They can just visit shops of Belcoopsoyuz.