Uniqlo and mannequin dressing that will not be opened in the summer
When large retailers began shuttering operations in Russia, Uniqlo staff did not immediately assume a similar fate would befall their own stores, unlike colleagues at European and American branches. Yet on March 21, the brand announced it would suspend its activities in the country.
“Our leadership signaled that certain deals would stay open, and we endured the longest among the chains, but the closure still caught up with us,” recalled Kirill, a sales assistant at a major mall outlet. He described a tense moment about the future, wondering whether salaries would be paid and how long the so‑called temporary closure would last. Management urged calm and instructed employees to follow directives.
On the final workday, staff packed their belongings, cleaned space, and then traveled to assist colleagues at other malls in the following week. The fate of the sales team began to take shape after that.
“The director said we would receive full pay. We calculated the average earnings and found it to be about 45–50 thousand rubles in hand. Training moved to closed stores rather than the usual workplace. They covered the company’s history, from its inception to marketing. With a 5/2 schedule, I sat through eight hours of training from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. The duration of each employee’s participation varied with their shift. Back at the store, we kept performing routine tasks like folding items and maintaining mannequins. It’s amusing that Ksenia Sobchak used social media to claim we were preparing to reopen, but that was only part of the training. The team simply received new mannequin images,” Kirill explained.
These regulations remained in effect until April. Subsequently, wages were reduced to 25–30 thousand rubles. From June onward, training sessions occurred once a week, eight hours per session. Kirill noted that the training included some excesses and was not always comfortable.
Some landlords began restricting access for employees of their tenants, and Kirill’s colleagues at other Uniqlo outlets in Moscow faced such limitations without explanation. The shopping‑center management and store leadership did not clarify the situation.
As a result, Kirill’s team, along with the Uniqlo group in a nearby mall, continued attending trainings at their stores.
“Only one person left the team after the salary reductions. Everyone else showed understanding, and the management’s efforts to support the staff were appreciated. Yet they offered little clarity about the future.”
At the moment, management stated that the stores would not reopen until the summer and that layoffs would be avoided. It was also confirmed that the brand concept and name would remain unchanged. Both company leadership and employees resisted any drastic changes.
“The flow of people has gone crazy”
The halt in activity across many chains also impacted brands that chose to stay in Russia. Tatyana, a sales associate at a popular mass–market retailer, described a market that could be viewed favorably, given the circumstances.
“Sales were strong before closures, and once many popular stores ceased trading, customer flow surged. We struggled to keep pace with shoppers and constantly faced staffing gaps. As some stores began reopening or transferring staff from closed outlets, the overall workforce stabilized, which the authorities welcomed,” she noted.
Several employees from shuttered H&M, Sinsay, and Zara joined Elizabeth’s team, though some left in search of higher salaries. An associate who also worked with H&M noted the ongoing changes. Others returned to Sinsay when it reopened under a different name. Elizabeth added that supply issues emerged after the sanctions began, and price increases followed.
“Revaluations climbed—t‑shirts that cost 600 rubles rose to 900, jeans from 1500 to 3000. Many stores experienced similar spikes. Fortunately, the increases did not last long as buyers voiced complaints,” Elizaveta explained.
According to her, prices have since stabilized at pre‑crisis levels, even as the mall remained sparsely populated. Nonetheless, she indicated that the shift did not directly damage income.
“Everything will become clear in August”
Anastasia, who works for the holding company behind House, Sinsay, Reserved, Cropp, and Mohito, observed that sales staff were not fired during the suspension, though many eventually left due to partial salary payments.
“When shops closed, vendors were moved to two‑thirds pay under the law. In Moscow, fixed salaries stood at about 38,200 rubles for 164 hours, excluding VAT, meaning roughly 25,000 rubles per person. That did not suit many, and they left,” she noted. Mass layoffs crept into the corporate office as a Polish retailer sold the brand to a Chinese company. The brands changed names and discounts intensified.
“The online store was entirely removed, forcing many who managed online orders to depart. Some workers were given three months of work or three paychecks to resign. There is little left to sort from my acquaintances.”
Officials indicated that more clarity would emerge at the end of August, leaving questions about how operations would adapt under new Chinese leadership. The team anticipated another round of layoffs, yet the hope persisted that most stores would reopen, staff would return, and deliveries would resume.
It remained unclear whether the brand concept would shift, but the designers behind the products were not terminated. Enhancements prepared for upcoming seasons remained in place, and no announcements suggested wholesale purchases or changes were imminent. Anastasia believed the overall concept would stay intact, even as new conditions took shape.