The key facts
- About 60 companies by the end of September 2026 were shrinking networks, changing format or facing financial difficulties (NF Group).
- 35% of brands in this group decided to close all offline locations; the number of those revising strategy grew 54% over the quarter.
- Most affected are clothing and footwear sellers — 37 brands; the list includes Stockmann, Lime, Terranova, FES Retail, Redecoro, Kulitura Doma.
Retailers are massively revising retail strategies
More than a third of Russian retailers that revised their development strategy in 2026 decided to completely abandon physical stores. By the end of September, about 60 companies had begun shrinking their retail networks, changing their operating format or faced financial difficulties, Vedomosti reports citing an NF Group study. According to analysts' calculations, 35% of brands in this group decided to close all offline locations. Compared with the second quarter, the number of companies revising store operations increased by 54%. Year-over-year dynamics cannot yet be assessed: NF Group has been collecting such statistics only since the beginning of 2026.
Who made the list
The changes affected clothing and footwear sellers the most — they account for 37 brands. Four more companies each operate in the home goods, cosmetics and perfumery segments, and three represent food service. The list also includes sellers of electronics, household appliances and jewelry. Among those revising their retail strategy, analysts named Stockmann, Lime, Terranova, brands of the FES Retail group, the Redecoro and Kulitura Doma chains. At the same time, inclusion in the study does not mean that each of the listed retailers is completely ceasing the operation of conventional stores.
Causes and context
Experts cite rising costs of maintaining retail locations as one of the main reasons for shrinking brick-and-mortar retail. Additional pressure comes from the growth of online commerce: shoppers increasingly choose marketplaces, and businesses are abandoning unprofitable spaces or looking for new formats of presence. It was previously reported that cosmetics brand The Act decided to close four of its nine stores by November, explaining this by the need to cut expenses and redirect funds to developing other sales channels. In August, analysts warned of the possible closure of every tenth shopping mall in Russia: according to their estimates, by the end of 2027 reconstruction or demolition could affect 500–700 facilities, as outdated malls lose visitors and profitability.
