Sergei Fadeychev via Getty Images Last chance to buy at Ikea for thousands of Russians, after the announcement of the suspension of the Swedish group in Russia.
RUSSIA – Scenes worthy of Black Friday. Swedish furniture giant Ikea announced on Thursday (March 3rd) the closure of operations in Russia and Belarus, affecting nearly 15,000 employees, 17 stores and three manufacturing sites.
“The war has a huge human impact and also leads to serious disruptions in the production and retail chain, which is why the group’s companies have decided to temporarily suspend Ikea’s operations in Russia,” the group said in a statement to AFP.
This suspension mainly affects Russia, where Ikea is one of the main Western employers. Belarus hosts only a few suppliers and has no store, according to the brand. “These decisions will have a direct impact on approximately 15,000 employees, and the group’s companies will provide job and income security by supporting them and their families,” said the Swedish giant, divided into various holdings.
Huge queues in stores
According to the Swedish group, 47 suppliers in Russia and 10 in Belarus are also affected by the decision, which closes the door to any import-export from or to both countries. A decision that isolates Russia a little more than the rest of the world after other big brands like Apple or Nike chose to stop selling in Russia in recent days.
Announcing this news, which is due to take effect this Friday, March 4, the Russians rushed to the shops on the sign in yellow and blue.
A crazy race in Ikea stores, which led to impressive scenes, such as in Moscow or St. Petersburg, where video testifies to these endless queues of carts full to bursting to stock up on supplies and furniture of all brands present since 2000 on Russian soil.
Huge queues at an Ikea store in Moscow. The Swedish furniture giant has announced the closure of all its stores in Russia tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/TfRY67Hq8X
– Sylvain Tronchet (@SylvainTronchet) March 3, 2022
Shared on social media by a Radio-France correspondent in Moscow, this video was originally published on the Telegram channel @bazabazon.
Prior to the announcement of the closure due to the war in Ukraine, Ikea initially announced that it was leaving its stores open in the country, which won it strong criticism in Sweden.
“The devastating war in Ukraine is a human tragedy and our deepest empathy and concern concerns the millions of people affected,” the group, the world leader in the sector, has said since. The Ikea Foundation, meanwhile, has announced a donation of 20m euros in response to a UN call to tackle the humanitarian crisis. “We have never made a donation of this magnitude for a crisis,” a spokeswoman for the foundation told AFP.
See also The HuffPost: War in Ukraine: This restaurant donates sales of this dish to humanitarian aid