Alexander Pavlov, vice president of Russia’s largest luxury retailer Mercury Group and chief executive officer of Tsum, has led the department store through the recession by lowering prices to match Europe and catering to Chinese consumers.
Pavlov was instrumental in adjusting Tsum’s prices after the devaluation of the rouble, to make the department store even more attractive to international customers. The move saw the department store’s client base increase by 30 percent and rise in revenue by 12 percent in 2016.
He also developed a tourist shopping programme for Chinese visitors in early 2016. Tsum has since recruited over 20 Chinese-speaking sales assistants, placed Chinese navigation signs in all its stores and improved their foreign customer loyalty programme.
Born in 1979 in Odessa, Ukraine, Pavlov graduated from the St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University with a master's degree in technology and engineering. He went on to work at Korus Consulting in St. Petersburg as a financial consultant.
In 2005, Pavlov was hired by Mercury Group as an analyst and was promoted to general director of Tsum in 2015, charged with overseeing the department store’s adaptation to e-commerce and a reduced customer base during the recession.
In June 2017, it was announced Pavlov would be stepping down from his role as Tsum’s general manager to focus on procurement management as chief executive officer. He remains vice president of Mercury, a holding group of more than 100 premium and luxury brand stores across Russia.