L'Etoile (retailer)

L'Etoile Company was founded in 1997. The first store was opened in Moscow.^[1]

In 2001, a system of cumulative discount cards was introduced in L'Etoile stores, giving discounts of 5-25%.^[1]

In 2008, the chain had more than 115 stores in Moscow and more than 500 across Russia, covering more than 120 cities.^[1]

In 2011, L'Etoile became the leader in the cosmetics and perfumery segment at the INFOLine&Retailer Russia TOP-100 DAY meeting for owners of the Russian retail trade. L'Etoile received a special award for "The most comprehensive implementation of Microsoft Dynamics solutions".^[2]

By the end of 2012, L'Etoile was included in the list of the 30 leading retailers in Russia, ranking 17th.^[3]

In 2015, the chain had 900 stores in 200 cities. The company had 13,000 employees.^[4]

As of 2020, L'Etoile ranked second in terms of revenue as a seller of cosmetics and perfumes in Russia.^[5]

In 2022, L'Etoile launched its marketplace based on an online store.^[6]

Since 2022, the "Podruzhka" store chain has been owned by L'Etoile.^[7]

In 2023, the company carried out a rebranding, updating its logo and slogan. The apostrophe disappeared in the new logo, the letters became the same height, the color was "electric blue", and the wave was preserved.^[8]

L'Etoile first entered the Middle East market at the end of 2023. The store first opened in Qatar,^[9][10][11] followed by stores in Sharjah, Dubai,^[12][13] Ras al Khaimah and Abu Dhabi in the summer of 2024.^[14][15]

By 2024, the L'Etoile chain will have more than 1000 stores in 250 cities in Russia, as well as outlets in the CIS countries, Qatar, and the UAE.^[15]

In 2024, L'Etoile won the award for "Best Foreign Retailer Entering the National Market" at the international Global Retail Real Estate Awards.^[16]