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Foreign luxury brands have completely ended their presence in Russia, RIA Nedvizhimost reported, citing Natalia Kermedchieva, an expert at the Association of Retail Real Estate and Retail Experts. 

Kermedchieva said the assessment was based on her own calculations. The "last stronghold", she said, had been the Chanel store on Stoleshnikov Lane, but its premises have now been taken over by the Russian brand 12 Storeez. 

"Louis Vuitton has no stores left, its lease at Vremena Goda [luxury mall] expired recently, as well as Cartier's contract on Stoleshnikov," Kermedchieva said. 

All foreign luxury brands' store leases in Russia have either expired or been terminated by mutual agreement, she said. Contracts with foreign brands typically specify a period after which the brand gains the right to exit unilaterally, and according to Kermedchieva that right has now come into effect under many agreements. 

Trademark registrations in Russia do not signal plans for an imminent return, the expert noted: companies file them primarily to protect their intellectual property and prevent counterfeiting. 

On 3 July, for example, it emerged that Reebok had applied to Rospatent, Russia's patent office, to register its trademark in Russia for the sale of clothing, footwear, bags, headwear and sporting goods.