“Square Factor”: which will hinder the return of foreign brands

What is the difficulty? According to the expert, since 2022, the commercial center area (more than 3 million square meters) began to be released and inactive, and the owners had to look for options for alternative use. Part of the squares was occupied by Russian retailers, such as Gloria Jeans and Melon Fashion Group, owner of the Zarina and Befree brands. In some cases, the big stores were divided into several medium and small, the expert said.

“Therefore, today for international retailers there are not many options prepared for convenient areas for stores. Of course, in the process of rotation and optimization of the tenant group, such options will appear, but not so fast. In addition, it will be necessary to develop changes in lease contracts, which did not previously take into account the option with the time of inactivity or the departure of large tenants, ”said Voitskhovsky.

On the subject: Visa, Zara and Starbucks: foreign brands will be returned to Russia

When will the brands return? According to the head of RSTC, in a favorable situation, foreign companies will be able to restore their presence in the Russian market in three or four months, and the restoration of complete collections can take up to nine months.

Voitskhovsky added that foreign retailers constantly monitor world markets and Russian is “very bulky and profitable”, therefore, when “the situation from the point of view of international brands will be developed quite favorably”, “they will not lose The opportunity to begin negotiations on the most favorable return conditions. ” The Russians believe the expert.

“Most likely it is the” space factor “that will be a narrow place in the case of the return of international retailers to our country,” concluded Wojciekhovsky.

• In mid -February, the Union of Shopping Centers (STC) asked Uniqlo, H&M and Inditex (possesses Zara, Massimo Dutti, Bershka and other brands) to consider the possibility of returning to Russia. Then, the union reported that they interviewed more than 100 larger shopping centers to discover their preparation to cooperate with these companies. More than half of the respondents expressed their desire to renew the association, promising to “quickly release the area.”

• Previously, the Vice President of the STC Pavel Lyulin said that Inditex “private” is negotiating to return to the Russian market and is waiting for the “thaw” in the relations of Russia and the United States. The company said they do not comment on this issue. The H&M press service pointed out that the retailer has no plans to restore Russian businesses.

With the participation of Ekaterina Strukova