“The situation is grim”: Russians have begun cutting back on clothing and shoes en masse
20 June 13:18
Sales of clothing and footwear in Russia have fallen as consumers have shifted to a frugal spending mode. According to data for January–March 2026, sales of fashion items—both online and offline—declined by 3% to 15% compared to the same period last year. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian", citing Russian propaganda media.
At the same time, as the media notes, total sales in monetary terms increased by 5–7%, but solely due to price hikes. This is evident from data from the Data Insight agency, as cited by Forbes.
“The market situation is disheartening. The industry expects stagnation in monetary terms and a 10% decline in volume terms,” said Fyodor Virin, a partner at the agency.
The decline in fashion sales is confirmed by trends in Russian consumer spending. According to the Check Index analytical center, from January through May 2026, the number of purchases at chain and independent retail outlets specializing in clothing and footwear fell by 10% year-over-year, while the average receipt amount rose by 7% to 3,121 rubles.
“Impulse purchases—like a T-shirt to lift your spirits—are a thing of the past. Prices have gone up, and many companies are struggling financially, not to mention expanding,” said a representative of a youth clothing chain.
“Check Index” noted that many people have adopted a “Zumer-style” practical approach, which does not involve frequently updating their wardrobe.
Against this backdrop, the fashion retail sector is losing more and more players. According to analysts at “Kontur.Focus,” in the first five months of 2026, 8,936 companies engaged in the retail sale of light industry products were liquidated in the country, while 5,003 new companies were registered. As a result, closures outnumbered new openings by 78.61%. During the same period, 498 new players entered the wholesale trade sector, while 64.5% more—819 companies—exited the market.
Meanwhile, in the clothing manufacturing sector, 1,609 new businesses were registered, while 2,347 closed. The number of liquidations exceeded the number of registrations by 45.87%. Meanwhile, in the footwear manufacturing sector, there were only 56 new registrations and 127 liquidations—126.79% more.
“These business trends reflect the overall negative situation in the footwear and apparel retail market; even fairly large brands are facing problems, not to mention small manufacturers and resellers,” noted Veronika Skorokhodova, an analyst at “Kontur.Focus.”
According to a study by the Higher School of Economics (HSE) and the discount retailer “Chizhik,” due to the deteriorating economic situation in 2026, 40.2% of Russians began cutting back on spending at brick-and-mortar stores, while 28.2% did so online. At the same time, as early as last year, people began cutting back on spending on food, medicines, as well as clothing and footwear. A study by Romir showed that 58% of consumers are consciously choosing not to buy certain goods they used to purchase, 57% are trying to find alternatives in lower price categories, and nearly half (46%) are trying to go to stores as infrequently as possible.
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