“New brands are less and less”: for the year only six foreign brands came to Russia
Growing a business has become expensive
In the first nine months of 2026, only six new foreign brands appeared in Russia – almost half as many as a year ago. This is the lowest figure in recent years. This is reported by analysts.
Why is that? There are several reasons. First, starting a business in Russia became more expensive, and the payback of projects stretched. Secondly, sanctions risks and difficulties with payments. Thirdly, consumer activity decreased – people began to save money.
“Foreign companies need to take into account not only the costs of opening the point, but also the cost of inventory, logistics and promotion,” explains Zulfiya Shilyaeva from CMWP.
Plus, the period when the brands that left in 2022-2023 were actively replaced by new ones has already passed. Decisions are now being made more slowly - economic uncertainty has not gone away.
