On the opposite stripes: Russians risk losing Adidas products due to the war in Iran
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the aggravation of the situation in the Middle East led to a halt in the supply of German Adidas goods to Russia. One of its largest distributors, Stockmann, is faced with the inability to deliver goods from one of the most popular brands among Russians to Russia through the United Arab Emirates. Suppliers are currently looking for alternative ways, while experts are confident that the increased complexity of logistics will lead to a 20-30% increase in prices for these goods. Izvestia investigated how the conflict in the Persian Gulf could deprive Russians of popular sporting goods and which other brands to affect.
Why did the supply of sporting goods stop?
Stockmann is faced with the inability to supply German Adidas products to Russia through the United Arab Emirates. Against the background of military operations in Iran and the aggravation of the situation in the Middle East, the delivery of cargo to the UAE and its export from there to the Russian Federation proved impossible, according to the company's statements, which were reviewed by Izvestia. It also clarifies that at the beginning of April, the rest of the goods in the warehouse in the UAE remained insignificant. Difficulties remain and are associated with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a source close to the retailer confirmed to Izvestia. The company did not respond to the editorial's request.
Stockmann is a retailer that specializes in selling clothes, shoes, and goods for children and the home. The company develops more than 700 brands in the mid-price and premium segments in the country, including Guess, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Levi's, Furla, etc., and also operates more than 24 stores in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Murmansk, Perm, etc. The first corner was opened in 1989 by the Finnish Stockmann. In 2015, she sold the Russian business to entrepreneur Yakov Panchenko with the right to use the brand. By the end of 2025, the revenue of Stockmann JSC amounted to 24.8 billion rubles, which is 9% more than a year earlier, and the net loss increased by 26% to 1.8 billion, according to the financial statements.
In 2022, Yakov Panchenko also bought out the local online retailer Lamoda's business from the Global Fashion Group (GFG) international holding company. The deal amounted to about €95 million "in addition to the value of funds held in the Lamoda business as of September 30, 2022," the parties said in a statement. In August 2023, the company announced that it would open its own sportswear retail chain on the site of the former Russian Adidas stores. It is not known whether she was affected by the difficulties with the supply of German brand goods. A representative of the retailer declined to comment.
In 2025, Adidas entered the top five most popular brands among Russians, according to a joint study by the NAFI analytical center and the Association of Communication Agencies of Russia (ACAR).
How the crisis in the Middle East is changing logistics
Olga Sumishevskaya, founder and partner of the One Story consulting company, called the supply disruptions a global logistical stress due to the situation in the Middle East. On March 1, Tehran declared passage through Hormuz impossible, and on March 4, the IRGC declared full control over the strait and threatened to strike any ships. By this time, at least four ships had been hit by drones, and the volume of traffic had decreased by about 80%. In April, the United States began a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz after negotiations with Iran failed. A few days later, the Islamic Republic unilaterally opened the strait to commercial shipping, but Washington did not lift the restrictions, after which Tehran again blocked the waters.
According to Ekaterina Kosareva, Managing partner of VMT Consult, the situation was further complicated by the cancellation by Rosaccreditation of several certificates of conformity for a number of Adidas products from Lamoda. In February, the agency banned the import of products due to the lack of test reports. It was about "the minimum part of the volume of the imported batch," a representative of the retailer explained at the time.
The distributors of the American Nike also faced similar difficulties, Olga Sumishevskaya noted. The goods of this brand, as well as the German Adidas, arrive in the Russian Federation through parallel imports. In addition to Lamoda, they are sold in the Russian Federation by the ASP network, which is being developed by the distributor Lestate, as well as the Inventive Retail Group (which manages the Hiker, Amazing red and Street beat stores). A representative of the latter told Izvestia that the company does not experience difficulties with the supply of international brands due to the lack of contractors from the UAE. Lestate did not respond to the editorial's request.
Now suppliers are looking for workarounds to restore cargo delivery, Olga Sumishevskaya said. As an alternative to diversifying supplies, Saudi Arabia, Oman or Turkey can be considered, Ekaterina Kosareva believes. But such changes will lead to an increase in the cost of logistics and will affect the price for consumers, experts say. The increase may amount to 20-30%, Olga Sumishevskaya believes.
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