Five Foreign Brands Entered the Russian Market in Nine Months

Five foreign brands launched on the Russian market within the first three quarters of 2026. Among the new names are Austria's Zanier, a Russian-Chinese venture "Polaris | TCL," Armenian restaurant brand IYKYK, and China's Much Fun.

Additionally, five international retailers, previously operating in Russia through marketplaces or multi-brand stores, have opened their own outlets. These include Belarusian home goods brand "Da Doma," Vietnamese children's goods retailer Gustavo Gano, and two German clothing brands, Frapp and Oliver. Austrian brand Zanier began operating through the "Sportmaster" chain in the first quarter of 2026. The third quarter saw the opening of an official appliance and electronics store in Moscow's "Afimall City," a joint project by Russian company "Red Soft" and China's Passion. The "Polaris | TCL" store, also specializing in appliances, opened in "Mega" shopping center in Kazan during the summer.

Armenian restaurant brand IYKYK established a presence in Moscow's "Dom Velesa" on Tverskoy Boulevard. China's Much Fun launched a game arcade store in "Afimall."

"For comparison, 15 international brands started operations in the country throughout 2025," noted a representative from NF Group.

"Da Doma" from Belarus, Vietnamese children's goods retailer Gustavo Gano, and German clothing brands Frapp and Oliver are among the five foreign retailers who previously had a presence in Russia via marketplaces or multi-brand stores and have now opened their own physical locations. Italian luggage and bag brand Eberhart also added another Moscow store, as reported by CORE.XP.

According to Natalia Kermedchieva, an expert at the Association of Retail Real Estate and Retail Experts, foreign brands are opening few stores in Russia as they await greater market clarity. "They want more understanding on whether departed Western brands will return and if they are entering a competitive market with entities like H&M, Inditex, Uniqlo, or a completely local one. Moreover, brands that intended to open new stores did so earlier, between 2023 and 2025," she explained.