In 2013, Serhii Perekrest began his retail career as a deputy manager at “Silpo,” a significant supermarket chain that is part of the Fozzy Group, one of Ukraine’s largest commercial-industrial conglomerates. Nonetheless, he maintained the view of the firm as a complicated system requiring the accuracy of an engineer, rather than merely a set of operational tasks. This viewpoint was the foundation of his later achievements.
In January 2019, he took operational command of “Thrash! Thrash!» in Ukraine, a swiftly growing hard-discounter chain under Fozzy Group. It was clear right away that he had a changing effect. Under his leadership, the network experienced incredible growth, with the number of shops almost tripling. He built systems that were very strong, because 68 of these new sites were set up during a global pandemic and a full-scale invasion, which were circumstances that had never been seen before.
In Perekrest’s plan, growth was never the only goal. Instead, it was based on smart, long-lasting reform. He came up with and put into action a number of new ways of managing people that became the norm across the Fozzy Group.
In spite of this, the most critical challenge he faced was the total invasion of Ukraine when it occurred in 2022. It was decided that Perekrest would be in charge of the crucial role of ensuring that activities in frontline zones are maintained. The logistics department was successfully reconstructed from the ground up to ensure that emergency deliveries were made, and he made the health and happiness of his staff a top priority by implementing specifically tailored motivational programs. He demonstrated that he was not only a talented manager, but rather a genuine leader who was able to take decisive action and carry great responsibility during this period of profound crisis. He was able to do this for a number of reasons.
In 2023, Perekrest moved to the very competitive American market and became the Chief Retail Officer at Mars Supermarkets (Euroland), a company in Florida that specializes in European goods. His job here was to take European best practices and adapt them to the U.S. situation, with the primary goal of creating a new, scalable operational design. This involved introducing advanced inventory management systems, department-based motivation programs, and robust customer feedback loops.
The development and curation of a distinctive format of national gastronomic exhibition-festivals has been his most significant initiative. When it was first introduced between 2024 and 2025, this idea was a revolutionary way to combine shopping and culture, especially for the diverse American market.
Unlike the random ethnic sales that happen in U.S. stores, Perekrest’s idea was based on bringing together four main parts in a way that made sense:
A Cultural-National Scenario: Each festival was built around a specific diaspora, creating an authentic and engaging experience.
An Authentic Product Matrix: Themed offerings like pelmeni, khachapuri, and lavash were featured, with suppliers invited to present their products at dedicated stands.
Spatial Transformation: Stores were reimagined with live kitchens, tasting stations, photo zones, and artisan displays, transforming a shopping trip into a cultural event.
An Emotional Narrative: The experience was enriched with traditional music, national costumes, and folkloric elements to forge a deeper connection with customers.
The scale and success of this initiative have been remarkable. In the first six months of 2025 alone, Serhii launched over 15 full-fledged festivals, including a Greek Festival, Bulgarian Taste Day, Georgian Week, an Armenian Festival, and Irish Gastronomic Weekends.
The results, tracked by internal BI systems, speak for themselves:
Average traffic growth on festival days surged by +33.22%.
Sales growth in designated zones increased by an average of +46.57%.
The events successfully attracted new customers, particularly from ethnic diasporas that had not previously frequented the stores.
The GREEK YUMMYFEST in January, for example, saw a 51.40% increase in sales and a staggering 65.00% increase in the number of buyers. Valerii Pugachov, a managing partner, officially recognized Perekrest’s effect by saying, “Serhii makes a significant contribution to the development of concepts, the launch of events, and their operational implementation before and after each festival.”
Perekrest’s strategic vision was also on display when he officially represented Euroland as Chief Retail Officer at the “Power of Ukraine 2024” charity event in Florida. He managed a branded booth presenting the company’s strategy and even took to the stage, demonstrating his role in building brand visibility and community engagement. This was considered a “Display of work at showcases or exhibitions,” which shows that he can combine retail strategy with culture engagement with the public.
These extraordinary outcomes were not overlooked. The Retail Network Leadership & Innovation Award was given to Serhii in 2025 by the “Quality Mark – USA” National Award. Serhii received this honor due to his exceptional leadership skills, strategic thinking, and innovative vision.
Building on his vast experience, Perekrest is expanding his influence through consulting. He has advised on the launch of the Kolosok supermarket, helping the new venture establish sustainable processes from the outset.
Looking ahead, he has founded his own company, Krapiva LLC, with a clear mission: to help other supermarkets and entrepreneurs build robust retail chains. His goal is to use his approach to architecture to give other people the tools they need to avoid common mistakes and build successful, scalable businesses from the ground up. Through Krapiva LLC, Perekrest intends to provide comprehensive consulting that goes beyond surface-level advice, offering bespoke frameworks for everything from supply chain logistics to customer experience. By drawing on the successful models he implemented in both Ukraine and the U.S., he plans to guide clients in process optimization, technological integration, and building a culture of efficiency. The ultimate objective of Perekrest is to equip a new generation of retailers with the strategic blueprints necessary to construct not only stores, but also resilient and profitable enterprises that are well-positioned for long-term success.
Serhii Perekrest’s professional trajectory offers a compelling model for 21st-century leadership, redefining it as an act of architecture rather than mere management. He is exceptional at establishing resilient ecosystems that are not opposed by data-driven efficiency and human-centric requirements, but rather are integrated components His validated success across vastly different cultures and crises—from war-torn Ukraine to the competitive U.S. market is a testament to this philosophy. The ultimate lesson from his work is that the most durable and innovative business structures are those engineered with a deep understanding of the human element, turning systemic pressure into a catalyst for growth.
