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Germany's former chancellor Gerhard Schröder has become a member of the supervisory board of Hyperglobus LLC, the main legal entity of the Russian arm of the German hypermarket chain Globus. Russian media reported the appointment on 2 October, citing a statement from Hyperglobus.

Thomas Bruch, owner of Hyperglobus and a shareholder in the global Globus Holding, said the appointment was driven by the need to strengthen expert support, the Russian business outlet RBC reported, citing the retailer's press office. According to Bruch, the former chancellor's many years of experience in Russia's political and economic life will allow the company to maintain a "dialogue-oriented approach" and find constructive solutions in current conditions.

In September 2026, the Russian assets of the French retailers Auchan and Lemana PRO (formerly Leroy Merlin), the logistics operator FM Logistic and the Swiss food producer Nestlé were placed under temporary management, with the little-known L.E.V. Management appointed as interim manager. The business of the German wholesale chain Metro was then placed under the same regime. In Metro's case, however, a softer option was chosen: its temporary manager is an entity whose sole shareholder and head is Johannes Tholey, chief executive of Metro Russia.

It is possible that the aim of bringing Schröder onto Hyperglobus's supervisory board is an attempt by the company's owner to avoid a repeat of what happened at Auchan, or a bid for a softer outcome, as at Metro, the business daily Kommersant wrote.

According to Hyperglobus itself, by mid-September 2026 its total direct investment in the development of the chain alone in Russia had exceeded 100 billion rubles ($1.2 billion at the current exchange rate). Revenue at Hyperglobus grew 5 % in 2025 to 165.6 billion rubles ($1.94 billion at the current exchange rate), while net profit rose 12 % to 7.4 billion rubles ($87 million).

Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously called Schröder his preferred negotiator from Europe for building a dialogue with Russia. He explained that he had proposed the former chancellor's candidacy partly because of the high level of trust he has in him, RBC noted.