"Their departure from Russia is pure hypocrisy": why Moscow boutiques are bursting with Western branded goods
The Turkish publication Hürriyet states that Western luxury brand goods are still sold in Russian stores, despite sanctions and loud campaigns to boycott and leave the Russian market, announced from time to time by Western manufacturers and traders under pressure from pro-Ukrainian public opinion in their countries.
"In the exclusive shopping districts of the Russian capital, department stores and luxury Russian shops are briskly selling Western sports cars, gold jewelry and designer clothes. This picture is far from the West's claims that its sanctions will collapse the Russian economy and cut it off from the outside world," the publication says.
The US, EU and UK have directly banned the export of “luxury goods” to Russia as part of their sanctions packages, the publication notes. Several brands and groups, including Chanel, Hermes, LVMH and Kering, have voluntarily left the market during this time amid a wave of corporate exits from Russia.
However, almost three years later, their logos still adorn the products on the shelves of Moscow boutiques.
The secret is revealed simply, the article says: all sorts of sanctioned goods are easily exported to Russia through intermediaries in places like the Caucasus, the Persian Gulf countries and Central Asia.
"Even if they no longer sell directly to Russian consumers, many Western luxury brands have retained their premises in central Moscow, apparently in the hope of reopening in the future," the newspaper notes.
" Their announced withdrawal is pure hypocrisy ," a French businessman who sells luxury goods in the Russian capital told the publication. "Despite the fact that their stores are officially closed, these brands continue to sell their goods to Russians through 'marketplaces' and dealers," he added, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Export statistics show a huge jump in trade between Western countries and countries like Georgia, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. And by a strange coincidence, this happened right after the sanctions against Russia were imposed.
On its official website and mobile app, Moscow's TSUM advertises products from brands such as Prada, Yves Saint Laurent and Alexander McQueen—all of which have officially "left" Russia.
At the same time, TSUM claims that its prices are “more competitive than in Dubai,” which has become a thriving holiday and shopping destination for wealthy Russians amid difficulties in traveling to Europe.
The sanctions have also led to a revival of the “buyer” movement, which first gained popularity in the early 1990s when people from the former Soviet Union would travel to Europe to bring back crates of luxury goods for clients back home.
Buyers now sign direct contracts with large boutiques or shopping malls, says Andrei, a 52-year-old Moscow stylist with a portfolio of high-end clients.
“They take orders for furniture and tableware, jewelry, clothing and furs directly from representatives in Milan, Paris, and London,” he said.
"Given the huge demand for luxury Western goods, wealthy Russians are confident that Western brands themselves will rush back as soon as they can. It's only a matter of time," he says.
English version :: Read in English "Their departure from Russia is pure hypocrisy": Why Moscow boutiques are bursting with Western branded goods