A Russian discount supermarket chain which promises to be 30 per cent cheaper than Aldi or Lidl is looking at setting up shop in Grantham.

Svetofor, which operates under the name Mere in Europe, is reported to be planning its first store in Preston at a former Nisa Branch, before other sites in Mold and Caldicott in Wakes and Castleford in West Yorkshire.

The company has also posted on its website that it is seeking suitable store locations across the UK, including Grantham.

It said: "We are looking for suitable locations across UK to expand our retail chain.

"At the moment, despite Corona Virus, we are actively involved with landlords, their representatives and agents with the aim to open our MERE retail stores ASAP in the following locations: South Scotland, Wales, England, Devon, Stockport, Neath, Banbury, Selby, Bradford, Middlesbrough, Grantham, Kettering, Plymouth, Beckenham, Gloucester, Northampton, Cardiff, Oswestry, Barnsley, Sheffield, Exeter, Stretford, Southampton.."

Already the business has stores in Germany, Poland, Romania, Lithuania, Latvia and Ukraine, with plans for more soon in Italy, Spain, Greece and Bulgaria as well as the UK.

The Grocer has reported Mere operates a no-frills model which sees suppliers expected to deliver directly to stores, which also act as the business' warehouses.

Each will be about 10,000 sq ft, and will include a walk-in chiller room and "huge freezer", allowing multi-temperature ranges to be sold directly from the pallets on which they arrive.

Each store is to have a maximum of 1,200 SKUs and only eight staff, including a director, four cashiers and three to handle deliveries.

Head of buying Pavels Antonovs said: "We are the gap in the market. We don't have any competitors. Our model is no service and no marketing."

The Daily Mail also quoted Mere's website which also commented: "We are a fast-growing, ambitious team that is currently working intensively on the future of the company.

"Our profile is the retail chain in the food sector that offers its customers good goods for little money. We work according to the motto "only lowest prices every day"."