Dependence on imports: how to solve the problem of shortage of goods

Recently, a large number of companies producing popular goods have left the Russian market. But in categories such as electronics, clothing and cosmetics, Russiadependent on imports. RBC Trends analyzed the situation Which brands left Russia and whether it threatens with a shortage of goods

The list of companies that have left the Russian market is quite large and continues to grow. From the technology sector, deliveries to Russia were stopped by Apple, Samsung, LG, HP, Microsoft and Sony. Despite the announcements of withdrawal, the products of many foreign brands are still available in stores. Retailers of home appliances say that supplies for most goods continue without interruption, but they refuse to talk about the presence of gadgets in the future.

Threecategories of goods in which Russia is dependent on imports (Video: RBC)

In turn, the prices for popular smartphones in retail increased by 20-30%. Analysts fear a rapid depletion of stocks. On February 28, the iPhone 13 Pro cost ₽110 thousand, by March 29 the price rose to ₽150 thousand, but later there was a rebound, and on April 5 the cost of the smartphone was ₽137 thousand. The price increase also affected Chinese technology. Now the situation is stabilizing, prices are falling, but, according to experts, they will not fall to the previous level.

Used electronics also went up in price, on average positions added 10-20%, laptops - almost 30%. According to statistics, compared to last year, used smartphones have risen in price by 10%, computer goods and TVs by 20%, and laptops by 28%.

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Foreign fashion retail companies are also leaving Russia en masse. Suspended work such brands as H&M, Zara, Bershka, Pull&Bear, Uniqlo, Adidas, Nike, Puma and others. First, online stores were closed, and then retail ones. However, goods of clothing and footwear brands are still available in market places, for example, Lamoda, Ozon and Wildberries still offer collections of foreign brands, but their prices have also increased by 10–20% at least and it is not clear how long the stocks will last.

Cosmetic brands have also announced their departure, but their products are still available in marketplaces, but prices have also increased significantly. In general, most of the products of the departed brands can still be purchased, but at a large markup. Shoppers in the capital's shopping centers complain that they feel the departure of large clothing brands.

Experts say that there will be no shortage of clothing from brands that are under sanctions. Parallel imports can help, which does not require the permission of the trademark owner, but previously it was necessary. In addition, this approach will help with a shortage of the luxury segment.

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Will the legalization of parallel imports help?

Many brands could only sell in Russia through official distributors. However, now deliveries will be carried out by intermediary companies, prices will increase, and terms may increase. In addition, there is a risk of counterfeit goods entering the Russian market, as intermediaries focus on volume rather than originality.

Fashion Consulting Group CEO Lebsak-Kleymans said that clothing brands that closed stores in Russia had essentially a technical default, and the introduction of parallel imports could force brands to leave the market completely.

The authorities believe that parallel imports will be able to fill the market of outdated goods and reduce the price of imports. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said that this measure would allow suppliers of imported products to sell them without the permission of the copyright holder. That is, the legalization of parallel imports allows you to import goods of departed brands through third countries, regardless of the prohibition of the companies themselves.

Mikhail Mishustin:

"The list of products that can be imported into Russia under such a mechanism will be approved by the Ministry of Industry and Trade on the proposals of industry departments."

A specific list of products is still being prepared, but the FAS proposes to allow parallel imports of almost all goods. The Ministry of Industry and Trade assures that the changes do not mean the legalization of counterfeit products, they offer the import of original products through alternative supply channels. The Federal Antimonopoly Service hopes that such a measure will reduce the cost of imports, return trademarks familiar to Russians to the market and expand the range of imported products.

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However, experts warn that the legalization of parallel imports will not help with electronics and household appliances, since the main problem is not the withdrawal of brands, but the fact that companies cannot supply components. It is her experts who propose to solve.

Anton Guskov, PR Director of RATEK:

“The legalization of parallel imports will harm the production of household appliances. Up to 90% of household appliances sold are now produced in Russia, and companies do not leave the market en masse. When important decisions are made about the exhaustion of rights, it is important to protect what we have, which is production. In our opinion, it is wrong to implement parallel imports or change the principle of exhaustion of rights to products that are produced in Russia.”

If we talk about large equipment, then it is quite difficult to bring it to Russia, even through parallel import channels. Separately, the question arises of importing original spare parts for large household appliances.

How to order the goods yourself, if you are ready to overpay

Roskachestvo stated that it is possible to pay for purchases in foreign online stores only with foreign cards. Some foreign banks offer to issue virtual cards, but there is no guarantee that this option will remain available to Russians. There are no problems with paying on the Internet through the Mir and UnionPay systems yet, but few online services support them, among the large ones only Aliexpress.

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You can also open Visa and Mastercard cards in dollars and euros, but for this you need to go to another country. Tour operators have already started offering two-day tours to Uzbekistan and other countries.

A more global problem of online stores is the termination of the delivery of goods to Russia. These services include: Asos, iHerb and others. Transport companies volunteered to help, offering services for the delivery of goods from foreign online stores. They buy products abroad, receive them at an intermediate warehouse and send them to Russia. When placing an order, the user receives a foreign delivery address, and then, from this address, the goods are transported to Russia. But before registration, it is worth clarifying whether the package contains items prohibited for import into the Russian Federation, for example, watches, jewelry and luxury items.

The shipping service can cost a minimum of $20 and insurance costs ー $3 for every $100 in the value of the package. It is also worth considering the commission, approximately 7%. The result, on average, is $40–50 per package, so ordering something cheap is extremely unprofitable. There may also be problems with returning the goods to the seller. If the parcel was damaged during transportation, the money can be returned. To do this, you need to fix the fact on the video and insure the package in advance.

At the state level, this approach is supported. From March 31, the duty-free threshold for purchases in foreign online stores has been temporarily raised from €200 to €1,000. If the value of the parcel exceeds the established limit, you must pay an additional fee of 15%. The same applies to heavy items weighing more than 31 kg. The duty is calculated at a rate of at least €2 per 1 kg. The new rules are valid until October 1, 2022.

Users of Avito, in turn, also began to offer forwarding orders through Kazakhstan. It is necessary to pay for the order in advance and in full, taking into account the commission of 20%, they promise to deliver the goods in 6-8 days. But when cooperating with individuals, there is a risk of encountering scammers, therefore, it is more reliable to work with official services.