Kesko invests in growth – strengthens grocery trade market position in the Greater Helsinki area with three new K-Citymarket hypermarkets

Kesko is investing €200-250 million annually in developing its store network. Hypermarkets play a key role in network development, and Kesko has previously announced plans for four completely new
K-Citymarket hypermarket stores as well as for three stores to replace existing ones.

”Our focus in grocery store network development is on growth centres and urban environments. By notably strengthening our hypermarket network in the Greater Helsinki Area, we are responding to the urbanisation trend and growing customer demand,” says Mika Sivula, Kesko’s District Director for Southern Finland.

New K-Citymarket for the Redi shopping centre in Helsinki’s Kalasatama

In Helsinki, Kesko will open a new K-Citymarket store in the Redi shopping centre in the Kalasatama neighbourhood.

”We currently have a K-Supermarket store located on the bottom floor of the Redi shopping centre. By accessing the premises above, we can expand the store to a hypermarket with two floors, ,” explains Sivula.

The plan is to have the food departments be located downstairs in the current K-Supermarket Redi facilities, with new premises for the non-food departments located upstairs.

”The Kalasatama neighbourhood has been growing strongly over the past decade, and continues to grow further. The Redi shopping centre is a hub for public transportation, and it also offers ample parking space. We want to enrich the neighbourhood with a store where customers can easily pick up everything they need in one go,” says Mika Sivula.

The current estimate is that the new store could open in 2027–2028, but the timeframe will be specified as plans proceed.

Vantaa location close to the Tikkurila train station

In Tikkurila, Vantaa, Kesko has acquired a controlling interest in the Tikkuri shopping centre near the train station.

”We have been looking for a suitable hypermarket location in the busy Tikkurila neighbourhood for some time now, and the current Tikkuri shopping centre would be an excellent site for a bigger store. A new bigger store would also enable us to offer much more extensive and easily accessible store services to both locals and other customers. The project would also help develop and transform the area surrounding the Tikkurila train station,” says Sivula.

Preliminary plans suggest that Kesko and its partners could establish a centre that, in addition to a hypermarket, could include other retail space, restaurants, office space, a hotel, apartments, and parking facilities. Details will be determined in the zoning process initiated with the City of Vantaa.

The current estimate is that construction on a new store could begin towards the end of the decade, depending on the zoning process.

Construction work in Espoo already underway

In Espoo, tangible progress is being made in Kesko’s hypermarket network development, as construction work has begun in the Espoontori shopping centre, with a new zoning plan now in effect.

”The first phase consists of the demolition of an empty office building and work related to municipal infrastructure, after which work will begin on the hypermarket store. The new store will be located in the rapidly developing Espoon keskus neighbourhood. Some 40,000 people already live within a 3-kilometre radius, and the location has excellent transport connections, with a train station nearby and the new Espoo Rail Line – set to be completed within the next few years – transforming and increasing the appeal of the area further. We are thrilled to begin work on building a bigger grocery store to serve the area and update the shopping centre,” says Sivula.

Based on current estimates, the new Espoo hypermarket could open in the latter half of 2028. For now, operations at the Espoontori shopping centre and the K-Supermarket Kulinaari store located there will continue as normal.

In addition, construction is currently underway for new K-Citymarket stores in Kivistö, Vantaa (2026), Haapaniemi, Kuopio (2026), and Ritaportti, Oulu (2027), and for stores replacing existing hypermarkets in Paavola, Lahti (2025), Ylivieska (2026) and Jokiranta, Porvoo (2027).

Further information:
Mika Sivula, District Director, Kesko, tel. +358 50 478 7094, mika.sivula(a)kesko.fi

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