Russian Lobbyists Invite Western Consumer Brands to Return
The Union of Shopping Centres sent invitations to Uniqlo, H&M, and Inditex (the latter owns the brands Zara, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Pull & Bear, and others) with a proposal to return to the Russian market.
“Regarding the timing of a return, it would not be earlier than a year from now, even if a political decision is made. And for this to happen, it is necessary, of course, that cross-border problems and obstacles related to payment difficulties and logistical complexities, among other things, are resolved”, stated the organisation’s Vice President, Pavel Lyulin.
He previously stated that Inditex representatives were privately holding informal talks about returning their brands to the Russian market. However, as Western brands in Russian shopping centres have already been replaced by domestic competitors, should they return, “there will be a fight for every spot”, Lyulin told Reuters. “The best locations where Western brands used to be located are already occupied”, he said. “These are long-term contracts, so there will be a fight for every such spot.”
Source: https://www.rbc.ru/rbcfreenews/67b332df9a7947e7738737cb