Around 20 foreign brands may enter the Russian market this year
Up to 20 new foreign brands may appear on the Russian market in 2026. This is the forecast made by Nikoliers consultancy and posted on its website. The figure is slightly up on 2025, when, according to Nikoliers, 15 new foreign brands appeared, but less than in 2024 (28 brands).
The company expects the departure of foreign brands to slow down, and forecasts that only two such brands will leave this year, whereas five foreign brands left the Russian market in 2025, and nine in 2024.
Nikoliers predicts that a total of 45 new Russian and foreign brands may appear in Russia by the end of 2026, which is 5% more than last year.
New brands trying to launch on the Russian market are now facing high costs and a shortage of quality retail space, says Yulia Kuznetsova, deputy head of Nikoliers' commercial real estate department. According to Kommersant newspaper, the vacancy rate in Moscow shopping centres is currently around 10%, although in key locations this figure is lower. Kuznetsova said that additional pressure is still being exerted by the high cost of borrowing, which limits investment in expansion and development.
Nikoliers calculated that in 2025, 27% of new foreign brands on the Russian market were from Italy (household appliances, clothing and footwear), 20% from Turkey, 13% from China, and about 7% from Belarus, Spain, the USA, Uzbekistan, Australia and Kazakhstan.
Most Russian consumers prefer foreign brands to Russian ones, says Natalia Kermedchieva, vice president of the Shopping Centres Association (quoted by Kommersant). And Yulia Kuznetsova from Nikoliers believes that for many Asian and Middle Eastern companies, Russia has become a priority development region amid sluggish demand in other countries. In addition, she said, competition in the premium and mid-price segments of the Russian market has decreased significantly, which opens up more opportunities for foreign brands.
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31.01.26