X5 Retail Group, a dominant player in the Russian grocery market, has strengthened its foothold by acquiring 100 of a competitor’s stores.

X5, which operates 5,971 stores across several formats in Russia including the supermarket chains Perekrestok and Pyaterochka, snapped up the stores from Russian retail chain Soseddushka. Of the 100 stores, 61 are located in Orenburg, in the south of the country, and the rest are in the Orenburg region.

The new owner plans to rebrand 96 of them to its Pyaterochka supermarket fascia, while the remaining four will become Perekrestok stores. X5 expects to complete the rebrand by November.

X5 first entered the Orenburg region last year, opening its first Pyaterochka store in Orenburg in February 2014. Prior to the deal, X5 also operated one Karusel hypermarket in the region.