Budget Basket offers lower prices – but has ties to a Russian billionaire family sanctioned by Ukraine and Poland

Shoppers may save at Belleville’s new Budget Basket, which plans to expand to Kingston and Peterborough, but its ownership is tied to a Russian family sanctioned by Ukraine and Poland.

First reported by BoQ Today, Budget Basket opened its first-ever Canadian location on August 4, 2025 at 610 Dundas St E, Belleville, ON, K8N 1G7. The launch comes at a time when Canada desperately needs more grocery competition, with 59% of the grocery market in Canada controlled by 3 companies: Loblaws, Empire and Sobeys and that rises to 76% if Walmart and Costco are included.

Budget Basket is a hard-discount grocery store with a no-frills, warehouse-style that offers a smaller range of products from mostly lesser-known brands than a typical grocery store.

Products are often displayed in opened boxes on wooden pallets placed directly on the floor or on industrial shelving. In Europe, the company has claimed to sell at prices 20-30% lower than discount store competitors such as Aldi and Lidl.

What does Budget Basket sell?

Budget Basket sells a range of products from Canada, China, US, Italy and other countries – typically those with a long shelf life. They include:

• Cleaning supplies (dish soap, laundry detergent)
• Paper products (tissue paper, paper towel)
• Produce (lettuce, organges, apples, beans, cabbage)
• Milk, cheese, meat and frozen seafood
• Pasta, rice and lentils
• Snacks (rice cakes, instant noodles, sunflower seeds, chips)
• Small appliances and electronics made in China (keyboard, toaster, kettle, etc.)

There is a large walk-in refrigerator at the back of the store with produce and dairy products and several chest freezers containing frozen meals and seafood.

Unit prices are lower than other grocery stores

Unit prices of a random selection of 56 products sold at Budget Basket were compared to the same or comparable products at the national grocery stores in Belleville (Food Basics, Walmart, FreshCo and NoFrills) to find which store had the lowest unit price for each product category.

Of the 56 products compared, Budget Basket had:

• 51% were the best unit price
• 38% had prices in-between the big grocery chains, and several of those were only beaten because there was a sale on at a big grocer, including:
  • Tomatoes, and Earth’s Own Barista Oat Milk at NoFrills
  • Basmati rice and iceberg lettuce at Food Basics
• 11% were the worst price, including:
  • Butter
  • Cottage cheese
  • Eggs
  • Havarti
  • Canned salmon
  • Vinegar

Where available, identical products (eg. Old Dutch laundry detergent) were compared. Otherwise, store-brands (eg. No Name, Great Value, Compliments) of same or as similar a size as possible were used for comparison.

The data collected can be found here:

Expansion into Canada

The first signs of the chain’s entry into Canada surfaced in March and April 2024, when job ads were posted in Russian-language Facebook groups looking for employees for Freshburg’s Canadian branches under names like LOCAL MARKET and My Discounter.

The posts describe the new Canadian business as part of the MERE/Torgservis discount store chain, the same Russian retailer whose expansion in Western Europe faced protests and sanctions. Applicants were told proficiency in Russian was required, and bonuses of up to $15,000 were offered for securing new store locations. The contact email listed was the same one later displayed on Budget Basket’s website.

Good afternoon. This is a traffic light chain of discount stores (3000 stores in Russia), in Europe we are under the MERE brand. Now we are going to Canada and opening a chain of discount stores LOCAL MARKET. Toronto branch is open now we open Ottawa branch .

Looking for Russian speaking employees.

1. Administrative director (Canadian citizen)
2. Room search specialist (part-time possible)
3. Manager in the procurement department .

My email is [email protected]

March 16, 2024 Facebook post in a Russian-language Facebook group for Ottawa

My Discounter
Ottawa branch
Director of Network Development
Office 116 Lisgar St

Experience required: 1-3 years
Possibly a part-time job.

Work in real estate is money, freedom of movement and free schedule!

Responsibilities :

• you need to find a room for a new store FRESHBURG on a fortified territory
• premises requirements, technical characteristics – that’s why we teach in training inside the company.
• The main part of your working day is searching for premises in the designated area, preparing an object report.
• You work under the guidance of a curator – a specialist with extensive experience in opening stores.

Requirements :

• you are mobile
• You have a special medium, higher education.
• experience in real estate is not necessary
• compulsory knowledge of Russian

The Terms & Conditions :

• contract arrangement
• The term of the contract is 3 months with a subsequent extension
• salary: 2500 CAD + 500 gasoline and phone
• Bonus for opening the store in 2024 – 15,000 CAD

Mail your resume to spb. [email protected] Skype nataliachekalina

April 24, 2024 Facebook post in a Russian-language Facebook group for Canada

Budget Basket Store Manager position requires proficiency in Russian

A July 27, 2025 job posting for a Belleville store manager explicitly required Russian proficiency, citing the need for communication with “Russian-speaking partners, suppliers, and team members.”

Proficiency in Russian is also required, as the role involves regular communication with Russian-speaking partners, suppliers, and team members.

Career Beacon

The Belleville store, leased from 610 Dundas Properties Ltd, shares a building with Belleville Bingo Hall and Target Indoor Golf. The property is owned by Paul Bishay and Rakesh Sharma of Bishay Holdings of Mississauga, which was transferred on April 17, 2019, from Rentx Realties Corp. for $4.6M.

Budget Basket is owned by Andrey Shnayder

Budget Basket operates in Canada under Freshburg Corp (746310358RC0001), incorporated on April 4, 2024 at 702 – 3460 Keele St, Toronto ON M3J 1L9 Canada with director Nadezhda Koriakhova. The federal corporation registry lists Freshburg Corp as majority-owned (>75%) by Andrey Shnayder.

Freshburg Corp describes itself as:

a European-based chain of budget grocery stores committed to delivering affordable products worldwide. We invite you to bring your expertise to our Canadian branch and contribute to our growth. Our success is built on a simple yet powerful mission: to provide highly discounted groceries to our customers while building strong relationships with our suppliers.

Job posting

and

is a European chain of budget-friendly grocery stores. Our stores can be found in Germany, Lithuania, Estonia, Spain. And our American and Canadian branches are on the way!

Job posting

Russian retailer Torgservis’ expansion into Europe

Founded in 2009 in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, the second-largest city in Siberia, Russian retailer Torgservis Group is headquartered in Krasnoyarsk and operates grocery stores under the brands MERE, MyPrice, Mayak, Tak-Tu and Svetofor.

The Svetofor (Russian for “traffic light”) discount supermarket chain claims to have over 2,000 stores in Russia and over 4,000 worldwide. In 2022, Svetofor had an estimated $5.9B in sales, making it a top 5 Russian food retailer.

The company is owned by Russian citizens and brothers Sergey and Andrey Shnayder (Шнайдер) from a family of German origin (parents Valentina and Ivan Shnayder) that is worth $1B according to Forbes. The family was first listed on Forbes’ list of the 200 richest Russians in 2021 at US$650B and now sits at US$1B in 2025.

The brothers are very private, having never talked to the press during the entire three decades of the company’s existence. They are reportedly not supporters of Putin’s war.

The surname “Шнайдер” when transliterated may also appear as: “Shnaider,” “Shnayder,” “Schnaider,” “Schnayder,” “Shneider,” “Schneyder,” “Shneyder,” “Schneider,” as well as “Sznajder” or “Sznejder.”

Svetofor walkthrough

Eastern Europe

The company had success opening stores in Belarus and Kazakhstan starting in 2017:

• Belarus since 2017 with 190 locations
• Czech Republic
• China (Svetofor)
• Estonia
• Greece
• Hungary since 2024
• Kazakhstan since 2017 to at least 50 locations
• Latvia
• Lithuania since 2022
• Malaysia (Svetofor)
• Romania with 11 locations in 2024
• Serbia since 2020 to 30 locations
• Uzbekistan since 2022 with 4 locations

Western Europe

The Mere trademark was filed with the European Union Intellectual Property Office in November 2017 by the Romanian company Torgservice RM SRL.

In the UK, Mere is registered as TS Markt Ltd.. Mr Andrey Shnayder, born February 1974, is listed as having significant influence or control between 2019 and 2020 and the company is now 75% or more owned by Mr Sergey Shnayder.

MERE walkthrough

Mere first opened stores in Western Europe in 2021, but closed all their stores in Great Britain, Belgium, Poland, UK and Spain soon after as a result of the outbreak of war in Ukraine. Officially, due to supply problems caused by the war in Ukraine, but also due to the resulting sanctions, public pressure, and protests:

Mere has had to close down completely in several European countries since the start of the war. Oftentimes stores would shut down, or never open as planned, because local shoppers called for boycotts when they realized the company was Russian. This happened in Poland, Belgium and France.

The Bell

Nevertheless, the Russian roots of Mere have not gone unnoticed. Mere’s stores have been targeted by protestors in several countries. For example, local media in Latvia have accused the chain of selling Russian goods, which local retailers refused to carry on principle. In Czechia, protesters have called for a boycott of the chain.

bne IntelliNews

• Belgium – Protests by Promote Ukraine activists led to the denial of permits for a second store opening and Mere closed its only store in 2022. The company relaunched as MyPrice in 2024.
• France – Only store closed after 4 months at the end of 2021, partially due to economic reasons but also due to the mayor’s statement that hosting a Russian economic player would contradict their efforts to support Ukrainian refugees.
• Germany
• Poland – Opened in 2020 to 10 Mere locations, all of which closed in 2022 as a result of the outbreak of war in Ukraine. Returned to Poland under the name “MyPrice” in 2024.
• Spain – Opened in 2021, but closed its 8 locations.
• UK – Initially planned for 300 stores, but closed in 2022. Restarting operations in 2023.

The chain is now trying again under a different name [MyPrice], which indicates it attempts to cover up its Russian origins. Russian products the chain can no longer sell because of war sanctions, so the discounter now stocks mainly in Eastern European countries.

Retail Detail

As of 2021, it was exploring expanding to the United States.

Andrey Shnayder, family members and companies have been sanctioned by Ukraine, Poland

Andrey Shnayder (Андрей Иванович Шнайдер), born February 9, 1974, is one of two Russian citizen brothers who along with their company Torgservis, were sanctioned by Ukraine in 2021 and 2022 when their grocery store Mere expanded into Ukraine because “they hold shares in numerous companies operating in Russia”, and by Poland in 2025 after their grocery store MyPrice opened because their company “indirectly supports Russia’s aggression in Ukraine”.

Ukraine sanctions

On October 30, 2021 (558/2021), MERE grocery stores were banned from operating in Ukraine and Shnayder family members were placed on Ukraine’s sanctions list, valid until November 12, 2034:

The entry of Russian supermarket chain Mere into the Ukrainian market (Alexander Scheglov, Andrei Schneider, Ivan Schneider, Sergey Schneider and Andrey Veykulaynen; related companies Globaltreyd LLC, Krymprodukt LLC, Gradoplan-Kryim LLC, NSKTreyd LLC, Renessansmed LLC and Torgservis 324 LLC; and related trademarks MERE, Svetofor, Svitofor and Mayak)

Ukraine Imposes a New Set of Sanctions

On October 19, 2022 (727/2022), Ukraine sanctioned Valentina Emanuilovna Shnaider and Sergei Ivanovich Shnaider, imposing extensive sanctions restrictions, including, among others, asset freezes, restriction on the exit of capital from Ukraine, a ban on trade operations and the transit of resources, flights and transportation within the territory of Ukraine, and the suspension of the performance of economic and financial obligations, etc., upon legal entities and individuals involved.

Poland sanctions

In April 2025, Poland sanctioned the discount supermarket chain and its Russian owners by adding TORG SERVICE PL. z o.o., and its shareholders “Andrei Ivanovich Sznejder” and “Sergiej Ivanovich Sznejder” to its sanction list:

As Russian citizens, they hold shares in numerous companies operating in the Russian Federation, which was one of the reasons for their sanctions.

[Sanctions] will contribute to a reduction in the revenues of this Russian company and thus indirectly reduce the revenues of the budget of the Russian Federation, which is used to finance the aggression against Ukraine.

Justification (translated from Polish)

• Sznejder is described as a Russian businessman, co-founder of the “Svetofor” discount store chain, operating internationally under brands such as Mere, MyPrice, and Tak-Tu.
• He owns stakes in numerous companies across Russia, and his business operations are said to support the Russian state, which is engaged in aggression against Ukraine.
• Ukrainian authorities imposed sanctions on him under resolutions 727/2022 and 558/2021.
• The document links his company’s operations in Poland (e.g., Torgservis PL sp. z o.o., MyPrice) to strategic influence and indirect financial support of the Russian Federation.
• It asserts that operating large-scale businesses in Russia without alignment with state interests or toleration by the Kremlin is unlikely, implying tacit state support.

Decision of the Ministry of Interior and Administration Andrei Ivanovich Sznejder

Sanctions include freezing the company’s assets within Poland (1 store and shares worth roughly C$4.8M) and prohibiting any financial transactions with the entity.

Freshburg avoids questions about links to Russia

We asked Freshburg about their operating model, expansion plans, and ownership structure. While they did not address questions about affiliation with Torgservis Group or ties to Russia before publication, they provided the following statement:

Budget Basket is an independent chain of grocery stores built on the principles of European discounters. The concept focuses on opening locations in cities with populations of around 50 000, offering an 800 m² shopping space filled with a wide assortment of goods at affordable prices.

Our mission is to make everyday essentials accessible by simplifying the supply chain, working directly with producers, and maintaining a lean cost structure. This allows us to keep prices low without compromising on quality.

Following the successful launch of our Belleville store, we plan to expand to Peterborough and Kingston, bringing the same value-driven shopping experience to more communities across Ontario.

How are prices so low?

Discount chains operated by Torgservis in Europe keep costs down by:

• Low markups
• Warehouse-style – “Bare bones” displays on pallets and in boxes
• All merchandise is displayed on the sales floor, eliminating backroom storage
• Remote, less-desirable locations where the rent is cheap away from residential areas and city centres
• Limited selection of products – only one option for each type of product
• Basic and lesser-known brands
• Mere has a ‘no service, no marketing’ policy
  • Limited staff
  • Spend nothing on marketing
• Negotiated volumes
• No middlemen – Manufacturers deliver products to the store themselves, avoiding a complicated and expensive logistics network of warehouses and shipping services.
• Don’t pay for the products ordered (and delivered), but only for the quantity sold. As part of this, they would return damaged or spoiled products to suppliers without ever having paid for them.

Conclusion

Budget Basket brings welcome competition and lower prices to Belleville, which could help ease grocery costs for many households.

However, questions remain about the ethical implications of supporting a retailer whose ownership appears linked to Russian business interests, given sanctions in Europe during the ongoing war in Ukraine. Countries in Western Europe have rejected, protested or sanctioned Russian grocer expansion, how will Canada react?

Shoppers now face a choice: are the savings justified?