The director of the Fashion Consulting Group, Anush Gasparyan, noted that since February 2022 clothing, shoes, and accessories sales in Russia have fallen by about 40.5 percent, a figure reported by Forbes. The squeeze began after Western sanctions were imposed, which led to more than 100 international brands pausing their activities in the country and a notable drop in the supply of fashion goods. In the months following February 24, major retailers such as Inditex, representing Zara and Massimo Dutti, along with H&M, Uniqlo, and Adidas, halted their operations inside Russia. This withdrawal left domestic shoppers facing fewer choices and higher prices, contributing to the broader retail contraction (Forbes).
