Central Universal Department Store

About

Central Universal Department Store Kyiv (Ukrainian: Центральний універсальний магазин Київ, romanized: Tsentralnyi universalnyi mahazyn Kyiv [tsenˈtrɑlʲnɪj ʊni⁽ʲ⁾werˈsɑlʲnɪj mɐɦɐˈzɪn ˈkɪjiu̯]) or TsUM Kyiv (Ukrainian: ЦУМ Київ) is Ukraine's one and only department store of the classical format. It is located at the intersection of Bohdan Khmelnytsky and Khreshchatyk streets in the heart of Kyiv. The department store's building in the Art Deco style was erected from 1936 to 1939. From 2012 to 2016, the building was reconstructed while preserving the historical facade from 1939.

Today, the department store is a leading retailer in fashion, beauty products, lingerie, sport, kidswear & toys, home & gifts, food & beverages, and entertainment. TsUM Kyiv has eight floors that feature women's and men's clothing, footwear, accessories, perfumes, make-up, sports, children's and household goods, a food court with restaurants and cafes, and a premium cinema Multiplex. On the seventh floor of the department store located Milk Bar restaurant that has a terrace with a panoramic view of Khreshchatyk street. In the summer, the department store hosts concerts of classical and jazz music.

TsUM Kyiv imports over 200 world-famous brands and leases 1000 spots to other brands. Among them are Jimmy Choo, Dolce&Gabbana, Versace, Marni, Patou, Coperni, Stella McCartney, Proenza Schouler, Wandler, Victoria Beckham, Giuseppe Zanotti, Isabel Marant, Aquazzura, Eleventy, Paul Smith, JW Anderson, A Bathing Ape, Cortigiani, Herno, Lardini, Raffa and many others.

TsUM Kyiv is one of the main business-partner of the local Ukrainian designers. On the third floor of the department store, one can find over 125 Ukrainian brands including Frolov, Sleeper, Ksenia Schnaider, Litkovskaya, Ruslan Baginskiy, Anna October, Bevza, Poustovit and others.

In late 2020, TsUM Kyiv has opened a Home&Gifts Department on its fifth floor where one can find the books from Assouline and Taschen, high-end audio products from UB+ and Transparent Sound, gifts from SELETTI and Black+Blum, board games from Hector Saxe Paris, and sculptures from Bearbrick.

In April 2019, TsUM Kyiv has launched its online store tsum.ua which delivers products across Ukraine and develops as a marketplace. The marketplace features over 300 brands. There is a Click&Collect area on the second floor of the department store for online customers.

Kyiv's main department store opened its doors to visitors on May 1, 1939. The building was designed in Art Deco style. The department store had seven floors, high ceilings, marble stairs, and an elevator. TsUM Kyiv had operated until the beginning of the 1941 occupation during World War II.

From 1955 to 1958, the department store added a new wing on the side of Khreshchatyk Street. The project was implemented by architects Gomolyak and Zhoga. The expanded retail space of 9,000 m 2 (97,000 sq ft) was able to serve 170,000 customers per day.

In 1960, TsUM Kyiv was among the first building in Ukraine to install escalators. Previously, escalators had only been operating inside of metro stations.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the shopping windows of the department store were designed by the team led by Yevhen Sheremetyev. TsUM Kyiv was a popular meeting place for Kyiv's intelligentsia (artists, sculptors, architects, and directors), among whom was prominent filmmaker Serhiy Paradzhanov.

Ukrainian company ESTA Holding acquired the department store in 2010. The company said that it is ready to invest over 100 million dollars in the reconstruction. The project of the reconstruction was approved by the Kyiv City Planning Council. The company has also opened a round-the-clock hotline where the citizens could submit their proposals and receive any information about the progress of the reconstruction. The company has also opened a website devoted to reconstruction with regular updates.

TsUM Kyiv has been closed for reconstruction on February 1, 2012. Over 170 companies took part in the renovation. The brand of TsUM Kyiv was developed by the German company Landor, and the British company Benoy was responsible for the architectural solutions. Philippe De Beauvoir, director of the oldest department store in Paris, Le Bon Marché, was invited as a project advisor.

The reconstruction began with the creation of a two-level parking lot, which deepened the building for another 12.8 metres (42 ft). The total area of the department store has almost doubled after the reconstruction to 45,000 m 2 (480,000 sq ft), while the retail space expanded up to 23,500 m 2 (253,000 sq ft).

The workers have installed 500 tons of metal structures to preserve the facade of the building during the dismantling and reconstruction of the department store's interior. Every day, 188 people worked at the construction site of the department store at the same time to finish the project on time. The renovated TsUM Kyiv was opened to visitors in December 2016.

Ukrainian company ESTA Holding acquired the department store in 2010. The company said that it is ready to invest over 100 million dollars in the reconstruction. The project of the reconstruction was approved by the Kyiv City Planning Council. The company has also opened a round-the-clock hotline where the citizens could submit their proposals and receive any information about the progress of the reconstruction. The company has also opened a website devoted to reconstruction with regular updates.

TsUM Kyiv has been closed for reconstruction on February 1, 2012. Over 170 companies took part in the renovation. The brand of TsUM Kyiv was developed by the German company Landor, and the British company Benoy was responsible for the architectural solutions. Philippe De Beauvoir, director of the oldest department store in Paris, Le Bon Marché, was invited as a project advisor.

The reconstruction began with the creation of a two-level parking lot, which deepened the building for another 12.8 metres (42 ft). The total area of the department store has almost doubled after the reconstruction to 45,000 m 2 (480,000 sq ft), while the retail space expanded up to 23,500 m 2 (253,000 sq ft).

The workers have installed 500 tons of metal structures to preserve the facade of the building during the dismantling and reconstruction of the department store's interior. Every day, 188 people worked at the construction site of the department store at the same time to finish the project on time. The renovated TsUM Kyiv was opened to visitors in December 2016.

In 2020 TsUM Kyiv launched eco-friendly delivery of the products ordered through tsum.ua using the electro car BMWi3. The project made it to the list of the finalists of the UN Global Compact in Ukraine – Partnership for Sustainability Award 2020. The same year the department store also opened a free charging station for electric cars. TsUM Kyiv has increased the number of partnerships with eco-aware brands. Since 2020, the office of TsUM Kyiv uses only locally produced recycled paper.

TsUM Kyiv has also made a significant step towards sustainable development by joining the UN Global Compact in Ukraine in July 2020.