Retailers pulling out of Russia

SANCTIONS: The mass exodus of retailers and brands cutting ties with Russia continues to grow as sanctions rack up over the invasion of the Ukraine.

We look at the growing list of international retailers pulling out of trading, leaving Russia more isolated and economically restricted:

• • Online fashion giant ASOS has said customers in Russia would no longer be able to order clothes from its website

 

• • H&M which has more than 150 stores in Russia has shut down all sales including online sales. According to recent figures, Russia is H&M’s sixth-biggest market, accounting for about 4% of group sales in the fourth quarter of 2021.

 

• • Footwear brand Keen have pledged €50,000 (£41,667) to charitable organisations Red Cross and Global Giving, to support local organisations in Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict. Keen has also teamed up with local clothing distributors in Poland and the Czech Republic to provide footwear and other essentials to Ukrainian refugees at the Polish, Slovakian and Hungarian borders.

 

• • IKEA, the Swedish furniture giant have confirmed it will pause all retail operations in the country and will also stop all exports and imports in and out of both Russia and Belarus.

 

• • Boohoo has closed its website trading and suspended all sales in Russia.

 

• • Hungarian-based clothing brand Nanushka have reportedly paused orders to Russia. In a statement on its website, Nanushka said it “stands in solidarity with the citizens of Ukraine”. It has partnered with Hungarian charity the Order of Malta to provide accommodation, food, clothing and transport to and from Budapest for those leaving Ukraine.

 

• • Luxury fashion retailer Burberry has stopped shipments to Russia until further notice due to “operational challenges,” according to a spokesman. The business has two stores and one concession in Russia, which have remained open for now.

 

• • Net-a-Porter (including Mr Porter and Yoox) have suspended all shipping to Russia with a notice on their respective Russian websites reading:  “Due to the current situation, we are unable to complete any new orders in your country. All order fulfillment has been suspended until further notice,” written in both Russian and English.

 

• • Nike have reportedly paused orders to Russia, Reuters has reported. The paper has said that the footwear brand has made merchandise purchases on its website and app unavailable in Russia as it cannot guarantee delivery of goods to customers in the country.
  • German sportswear company Adidas has suspended its partnership with the Russian Football Union (RFS) with immediate effect.

 

• • Footwear retailer Kurt Geiger has donated last week’s store profits, a total of £50,000, to support the British Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal.

 

• • Etsy have confirmed that they will waive all fees owed by Ukrainian sellers, a sum of approximately $4 million, amid Russia’s invasion. The online marketplace has said it is committed to “creating opportunities and offering assistance in times of distress or injustice”. The balances written off include listing fees, transaction fees, advertising fees and more.

 

• • Tech phone giant Apple has halted product sales and services in Russia. The tech manufacturer and retailer is one of the latest major corporations to boycott the country following the invasion ordered by Russian president Vladimir Putin last week. Fellow tech giants Google and Twitter have also cut down their business in Russia.

 

• • Tesco has a sizeable business in Central Europe including in Slovakia and Hungary which both share borders with Ukraine. Tesco is using distribution centres in Budapest, Bratislava and Prague to co-ordinate support. Tesco CEO Central Europe Matt Simister has shared via LinkedIn how the grocer has been delivering relief packages. He wrote: “Steered by the Red Cross our initial donations have been food, water, hygiene products and clothing, but our humanitarian aid will evolve with the needs of those impacted/displaced.”

 

• • Halewood Artisanal Spirits is moving production of its J Whitley vodka brand from Russia to the UK following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. J.J Whitley’s website was updated this week to remove explicit mentions of Russia too.

 

• • Pandora has donated $1 million to Unicef’s efforts to help children affected by the humanitarian crisis. Pandora chief executive Alexander Lacik said: “We wish to help the children of Ukraine and their families in this terrible conflict. They need shelter, water, food, medicine, safe zones, and other support to live through the crisis. Unicef’s work is critical and desperately needed.”

 

• • M&S is also a supporter of Unicef and this week encouraged shoppers to select it as their chosen charity while using its Sparks loyalty card and vowed to double the donation it makes every time a customer shops.

 

• • Holland & Barrett have insisted its operations will not be impacted by sanctions placed on its Russian oligarch directors, who have now stepped down from its owner’s board.

 

• • British luxury carmakers Jaguar Land Rover and Aston Martin have paused vehicle shipments to Russia, as sanctions over the war in Ukraine had created growing trading obstacles for the car industry. Volvo, Volkswagen, Mazda, Ford Motors and Honda Motors are suspending export of cars and motorcycles to Russia signalling the likelihood more Japanese automakers would join the global swell of companies halting business with Russia.

 

• International artists and cultural organisations have also imposed their own restrictions. Disney, Warner Bros and Paramount have stopped all theatrical releases of new films in Russia. Musicians including Franz Ferdinand, Nick Cave and Green Day pulled out of upcoming concerts in the country. And the Cannes film festival and Eurovision song contest both rejected Russian delegations from performing this spring.

 

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