The Citrus chain of stores may change owners. Artur Hatunok, founder of the Yabluka chain, is considering the possibility of taking over the chain. There is talk in the market about preparing a deal.
The Citrus chain of stores may change owners. Artur Hatunok, founder of the Yabluka chain, is considering the possibility of taking over the chain. There is talk in the market about preparing a deal.
According to Gatunko, the enlarged network will operate according to the business model of «Citrus». At the same time, according to Forbes, the new owner wants to preserve the freshness of the brand and marketing activities of «Citrus».
The amount of the deal, according to the publication’s co-producer, is $10–20 million, but there is no final agreement yet — everything could change.
Currently, Citrus unites about 40 stores across Ukraine, Yabluka — about 30.
The Odessa chain «Citrus» has been operating since 2000, the founders are Hryhoriy Topal and Dmytro Zinchenko. However, a conflict broke out between the owners. In the summer of 2020, the security service of «Citrus» did not let Zinchenko into the workplace. He accused Topal of «raider seizure» of the business. Since 2021, Gennady Korban has become a participant in the conflict, having purchased a 50% stake in the key legal entity of «Citrus» at that time — «ZT-Invest» from Zinchenko. Korban is helping to restore ownership of the company, Zinchenko told Forbes Ukraine in 2021. In response, Topal filed a lawsuit to declare the transaction illegal and won the court in the same year.
The main legal entity of «Citrus» as of June 2025 is «Importmax». The company’s revenue in 2024 increased by 9%, to UAH 4.9 billion, according to YouControl. The revenue of «Innovation of the XXI Century» of Gatunka, which, according to the Register of Trademarks, owns the Yabluka brand, is UAH 232.7 million, 41% less than a year earlier.
Previously, dev.ua reported on the preparation of a deal, but then both parties denied the information about the purchase.
