Epicentr K
Retailer / private label
UnclaimedEpicentr K is a Ukrainian home-improvement and general merchandise hypermarket chain.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Epicentr K is a Ukrainian retail group best known for its nationwide chain of large-format home-improvement hypermarkets. Its assortment is centered on construction materials, tools, plumbing, electrical goods, household products, garden supplies, furniture, decor and related do-it-yourself categories. Over time, the business expanded beyond a conventional hardware chain by adding consumer merchandise, sports retail, food-service facilities, banking services, delivery, custom product design and an online marketplace. The business began in 1994, when Oleksandr Hereha and his wife, Halyna, sold tiles imported from Poland at Ukrainian markets. In 1996 they established Cermet AGS and opened a tile store in Kyiv. The founders subsequently pursued a large-format retail model influenced by the Polish operations of Castorama. The first Epicentr K store opened in Kyiv in 2003. The name was proposed by an employee, while the letter K was associated with команда, the Ukrainian word for team. Epicentr K expanded rapidly during the 2000s. It added several Kyiv stores in 2005, opened its first location outside Kyiv in Lviv in 2006, and established a broad regional presence in 2007 and the years that followed. By 2008 the chain had 16 stores, and its fastest expansion period occurred from approximately 2010 to 2013, when it commonly opened eight or nine stores per year. The chain reached its 30th store in 2011 and its 40th in 2012. By 2023, reference material reported 75 stores across Ukraine. A major strategic shift began in the late 2000s and continued through the 2010s. In 2009 Epicentr K widened its assortment from building materials to consumer goods. In the same year it opened a large Kyiv facility on Berkovetska Street that also served as the company’s main office. From 2014 onward, the retailer increasingly presented its locations as modern multifunctional shopping centers rather than narrowly defined hardware outlets. The 2014 Kyiv store on Poliarna Street became a particularly large example of the format and was recognized by Ukrainian record-keeping authorities as the largest trading center of its DIY type at the time. The group also pursued acquisitions and vertical diversification. In 2013 it acquired a controlling stake in the Nova Liniia hardware chain, later converting some of its stores into Epicentr locations. It acquired logistics assets in the Kyiv region and entered agriculture through control of Vinnytsia Agrarian Holding, whose land bank was reported at 50,000 hectares. In 2020 it acquired Svarog West Group, expanding its agricultural interests. The group also developed manufacturing capacity, including the Epicentr Ceramic Corporation plant opened in Kalynivka in 2021. Digital retail became another important area. The company launched the 27.ua online store in 2016; the domain later changed to epicentrk.ua, which developed into a marketplace. Physical stores generally offer delivery, express delivery, pickup, parking, cafes and additional services. The group has also incorporated sports retail partnerships and stores, including cooperation with Intersport, 4F and The Athlete’s Foot. Epicentr K has sponsored Ukrainian sport and cultural activities. It became title sponsor of the Ukrainian Premier League in 2008 and has supported football initiatives, including FC Epitsentr in Dunaivtsi. The company has also participated in construction support and other sponsorship projects. Its operations have nevertheless been affected by fires, wartime damage and attacks. A Mariupol store suffered serious damage during the 2022 siege, and a Kharkiv hypermarket was destroyed by Russian strikes on 25 May 2024, killing civilians. Despite these disruptions, the chain remained active and continued opening or rebuilding stores, including a large multifunctional “brave format” center in Lviv in 2022.
History
Epicentr K traces its origins to a small tile-trading operation established by Oleksandr and Halyna Hereha in 1994. The couple initially sold tiles imported from Poland at markets. In 1996 they founded Cermet AGS and opened a tile store in Kyiv, creating the commercial base from which the later retail chain developed. In 2001 the founders decided to build a large hardware hypermarket after studying the Polish chain of French retailer Castorama. The first Epicentr K store opened in Kyiv on Viskozna Street in 2003 with assistance from Polish specialists. The chain was among the retailers that introduced the hypermarket-style DIY format to Ukrainian consumers. Three additional Kyiv stores opened in 2005, followed by the first store outside the capital in Lviv in 2006. Expansion accelerated in 2007, when the company opened stores in several regional centers and in Kryvyi Rih, which was notable as an early location outside a regional capital. By 2008 Epicentr K had 16 stores and continued developing locations across Ukraine. It also began extending the brand beyond retail through an Epicentr sports club in Horodok, Khmelnytskyi Oblast. In 2009 the chain added consumer goods to its traditional construction and hardware assortment. That year it opened a 56,000-square-meter Kyiv store on Berkovetska Street, which also became the company’s main office. The period from 2010 through 2013 was the chain’s most intense expansion phase, with roughly eight or nine stores commonly opened each year. The company reached 30 stores in 2011 and 40 in 2012. The 2010s brought both geographic growth and consolidation. In October 2013 Epicentr K acquired a controlling stake in Nova Liniia, another Ukrainian hardware chain. It also purchased a logistics complex in Kalynivka, Kyiv Oblast, later reconstructing the facility. From 2014 the company began converting its retail concept into larger and more varied shopping centers. A 105,000-square-meter Kyiv hypermarket opened on Poliarna Street in 2014 and was recognized in Ukraine as a record-setting DIY trading center. The group subsequently acquired and rebuilt other retail properties, including Alta Center in Kyiv and the Modul shopping center in Bucha. The company diversified into sports retail through a partnership with Intersport beginning in 2015 and later agreements involving 4F and The Athlete’s Foot. It launched 27.ua in 2016, later rebranding the online operation under epicentrk.ua and developing it as a marketplace. The same period saw further physical expansion, including smaller-format stores, pickup points and continued regional openings. Epicentr K also developed substantial non-retail operations. In 2016 it acquired control of Vinnytsia Agrarian Holding, reported as owning 50,000 hectares of land. Its agricultural business expanded again in 2019 through the purchase of additional land and in 2020 through the acquisition of Svarog West Group. In 2021 the group opened the Epicentr Ceramic Corporation plant in Kalynivka, adding manufacturing to its retail and agricultural activities. The store network continued to evolve. In 2021 Epicentr K opened its first mall-in-mall site in Kyiv’s Blockbuster Mall, using rented space rather than a standalone building. In September 2022, several months after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, the company opened a three-floor “brave format” center in Lviv of almost 90,000 square meters, combining a DIY hypermarket, shopping and entertainment space, and leased premises. War-related destruction became a major part of the company’s recent history. An Epicentr location in Mariupol suffered extensive damage during the siege in March 2022. On 25 May 2024, a Kharkiv hypermarket was hit by Russian glide bombs while approximately 200 people were reportedly inside; the store was destroyed and 18 civilians were killed. Despite these losses, reference material describes Epicentr K as continuing to operate a large Ukrainian store network, reaching 75 stores by 2023.
- 2024
Kharkiv store destroyed in attack
[1]A Russian glide-bomb attack destroys the Kharkiv hypermarket and kills civilians.
- 2022
Lviv brave-format center opens
[1]The company opens a large three-floor multifunctional center in Lviv during the first year of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
- 2021
Ceramics manufacturing begins
[1]Epicentr Ceramic Corporation opens a plant in Kalynivka, Kyiv Oblast.
- 2016
Online store and agricultural expansion
[1]The company launches 27.ua and acquires control of Vinnytsia Agrarian Holding.
- 2014
Large-format shopping-center strategy
[1]A 105,000-square-meter Kyiv store opens on Poliarna Street, illustrating the company’s move toward multifunctional retail centers.
- 2013
Nova Liniia acquisition
[1]Epicentr K acquires a controlling stake in Nova Liniia and expands its logistics capacity.
- 2012
40th store opens
[1]The 40th Epicentr K opens in Stryi, Lviv Oblast.
- 2011
30th store opens
[1]The chain reaches 30 stores with a location in Mukachevo.
- 2009
Consumer-goods assortment is added
[1]Epicentr K expands beyond building materials and opens a major Kyiv store on Berkovetska Street.
- 2006
Regional expansion begins
[1]The first store outside Kyiv opens in Lviv, followed by stores in Poltava and Odesa.
Products and positioning
A broad Ukrainian DIY and home-improvement retailer positioned as a one-stop destination for renovation, construction, home, garden, consumer and selected sports needs.
Home-improvement retail · 2003
Epicentr K home-improvement hypermarkets
The core Epicentr K format combines construction materials, hardware, tools, plumbing, electrical products, paint, flooring, furniture, household merchandise and garden goods in large stores. Locations commonly provide free parking, cafes, delivery and additional services. The format has progressively developed from a specialist hardware warehouse into a broader home-and-consumer shopping center.
E-commerce · 2016
epicentrk.ua marketplace
Originally launched as 27.ua, the online operation was moved to the epicentrk.ua domain and developed into a marketplace. It supports online purchasing across the group’s home, construction, household, garden, furniture and other categories, with delivery and pickup services connected to the physical network.
Sports retail · 2015
Epicentr sports retail
Epicentr K expanded its assortment and store ecosystem through sports-goods partnerships. Intersport became a partner in 2015, and later agreements with 4F and The Athlete’s Foot supported sportswear and footwear retail within or alongside the group’s shopping locations.
Building-material manufacturing · 2021
Epicentr Ceramic Corporation
The ceramics manufacturing operation extends the group’s presence upstream into building-material production. Its plant in Kalynivka, Kyiv Oblast, opened in 2021 and complements the retailer’s long-standing tile and renovation categories.
Marketing campaigns
- 2019FC Epitsentr support
Ukraine
Company sponsorship helped a football club from Dunaivtsi organize and compete at the national level.
Outcome. The club competed as FC Epitsentr Dunaivtsi.
- 2008Ukrainian Premier League title sponsorship
Ukraine
Epicentr K became title sponsor of Ukraine’s Premier League football competition, increasing national visibility for the retailer.
Outcome. The sponsorship established the company as a prominent national sports sponsor.
Brand decisions
2016
Launch digital commerceStrategyBackground
The expanding store network created an opportunity to connect physical retail with online ordering and local pickup.
Action taken
The company launched 27.ua, later rebranding the operation under epicentrk.ua and developing it into a marketplace.
Aftermath
Epicentr K added an online channel alongside delivery and pickup services at its stores.
2014
Shift toward multifunctional shopping centersStrategyBackground
The company’s original standalone hardware hypermarket format was being broadened to attract customers across home, consumer and leisure categories.
Action taken
Epicentr K began a format transition toward modern shopping centers, exemplified by the large Poliarna Street site in Kyiv.
Aftermath
Later locations increasingly combined DIY retail with consumer goods, sports, food service, entertainment and leased space.
2013
Acquire control of Nova LiniiaM&ABackground
Epicentr K sought to strengthen its national retail footprint and consolidate the Ukrainian hardware market.
Action taken
The group acquired a controlling stake in Nova Liniia.
Aftermath
Several Nova Liniia locations were subsequently reconstructed or converted into Epicentr stores.
2009
Broaden from hardware into general merchandiseStrategyBackground
The original chain was primarily focused on construction and hardware products.
Action taken
Epicentr K added consumer goods and developed larger stores with services such as cafes and delivery.
Aftermath
The brand evolved toward a broad home-and-consumer retail proposition.
2001
Adopt the hardware-hypermarket modelStrategyBackground
After building experience in tile retail, the founders studied the Polish Castorama model and sought to introduce a large DIY format in Ukraine.
Action taken
The company decided to develop large hardware hypermarkets under the Epicentr K name.
Aftermath
The first store opened in Kyiv in 2003 and became the foundation of the national chain.
Sources1 sources
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