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Apple has officially withdrawn from the Russian market after the country’s conflict with Ukraine in early February 2023. However, surprisingly, Russia’s leading consumer electronics chain M.Video-Eldorado has begun selling Apple’s all-new Vision Pro in its stores, despite Apple temporarily ceasing to export its products to Russia nearly two years ago.
M.Video did not disclose how they obtained the devices in Russia. The company shares: “M.Video-Eldorado continues to introduce the latest innovations in the world of devices to the Russian people, visitors to the stores will be able to personally check the new products and learn about the features.” M.Video shared on February 21.
Vision Pro is the virtual reality glasses introduced by Apple in June last year, and Apple officially released the device on February 2 in the U.S. Retailing for $3,500, Apple’s Vision Pro virtual reality glasses allow users to browse the web, chat, and even watch movies in high resolution.
M.Video, which is offering a 256 GB version for 579,999 rubles ($6,276), said it has set up product trial spaces at stores in six cities in Russia, including two flagship stores in Moscow.
According to the company’s website, another agent in Russia, re:Store, is also selling a similar version for 579,990 rubles. The company has also opened experience spaces in Moscow and plans to further expand in other cities in Russia.
Apple suspended all sales activities in Russia in March 2022 in response to Moscow’s conflict with Ukraine while Western-imposed sanctions to restrict the export of technology to Russia.
Another option for Russians is to buy imported goods or go directly to the U.S. to make purchases. A Russian tech blogger told CNBC that his group had pre-ordered these devices in New York and brought them to Moscow.
Russians have responded to the withdrawal of foreign brands by importing on a small scale and selling online to help maintain the flow of goods, especially non-sanctioned consumer goods.
Not only technology products, but also household appliances, food, and Russian cars are affected as brands gradually leave the market. However, this is also a great opportunity for brands to jump in and dominate the market, especially the automotive industry as Chinese automakers had a “bumper” 2023 in this market.
According to a study by B4Ukraine and the Kiev Economic School, about 300 Western companies have left Russia since the conflict began, while about 1,600 brands continue to operate in the country, paying $3.5 billion in taxes to the state in 2022. The report shows that the Western consumer goods sector generated more than $21 billion in revenue in Russia last year.
According to Reuters
