Foreign clothing brands will have to pay to return to Russia

Major foreign clothing brands that left the country in 2022-2023 have returned to dialog with domestic shopping centers. We are talking about European businesses: for example, the Inditex holding (it develops such brands as Zara, Bershka, Pull&Bear, Stradivarius and Massimo Dutti). So far the parties are not discussing any specific terms, but it is already clear that the return to the domestic market will be long and difficult, told "Izvestia" in the Russian Council of Shopping Centers.

Degree of departure: foreign brands are returning to Russia

Will competition in the market help to reduce prices

Russia is a serious sales market, in the structure of global sales of foreign brands, the share of our country was from 3 to 15% depending on the company, it is the sixth to eighth place in foreign ratings, Dmitry Tomilin, a member of the presidium of the Russian Council of Shopping Centers, told "Izvestia".

"Foreign brands have indeed started to get in touch - we are talking about such names as Zara and Bershka, Pull & Bear, Stradivarius and others. But the companies have not made any concrete steps yet," the expert added.

The places of Europeans in shopping centers are occupied: the central sites were taken by such domestic companies as Lime, Stockmann, Gloria Jeans, Melon fashion group (brands Zarina, Befree, Love republic and others), some of them went to other foreigners, for example, from Lebanon - Maag, Ecru and Dub. These retail chains signed lease agreements for five to ten years in 2022-2023. Therefore, there will be nowhere to return quickly, the expert explained.

Part of the shopping centers can abandon inefficient tenants, giving their space to foreign partners with "good numbers", but even this will not be easy to do - the current sellers, at the very least, must violate existing contracts, for example, to delay rent, Tomilin stressed.