Foreign Brands Exit, But Sales in Russia Continue to Grow

Despite many Western brands exiting the Russian market, their product sales remain strong through unofficial or parallel channels.

Key Highlights:

• In Q1 2025, Japanese brand UNIQLO ranked among the top 5 most popular foreign apparel brands in Russia, along with ZARA, Nike, Apple, and New Balance.
• According to Kommersant and CDEK.Shopping data, sales of second-hand or parallel-imported UNIQLO products grew by 12%, with ZARA up 85% and Nike up 55%.
• Although UNIQLO officially closed its Russian stores in 2022, 50 stores were still operating unofficially in early 2023.

Market Context:

• Other foreign brands like H&M, Inditex (ZARA, Massimo Dutti, Bershka) also withdrew, but grey market imports via parallel trade continue to meet consumer demand.
• Russian consumers remain loyal, and products like UNIQLO’s Heattech continue to be sought after.
• Experts say these brands still enjoy high recognition, and parallel imports have softened the impact of official exits.

A Russian business association representative stated that UNIQLO is not planning a formal return soon, but demand remains stable through alternative sales channels.

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