ALMATY (Interfax-Kazakhstan) — The French retailer Leroy Merlin will open its first store in Kazakhstan on August 1, according to Leroy Merlin Kazakhstan.

The first DIY store in the chain is built in Almaty for $31&nbspmln. It will present 35 000 articles over 17 500 m². 350 new jobs are to be created. In 2020 two more branches are to be opening their doors in the Almaty area.

With a turnover of €18.7 bln (2015), Leroy Merlin is the largest French retailer selling home and interior products, building materials, repair and garden products in its stores in 12 countries. In the period from 2002 to 2014, Leroy Merlin invested over $870 mln in Russia and has been active in that part of the world. Today, there are 39 stores in Russia, employing more than 16,000 people. Overall, the company employs some 97,000 employees.