Popular fashion brands return to Russian stores through indirect supply chains
Clothing from Zara, Bershka, Massimo Dutti and other labels owned by Spain’s Inditex has resurfaced in Russia, according to The Financial Times, which reported through its coverage of the renewed presence of Inditex brands in Russian retail. The items are being sold by the chain “Tvoe” under the retail network “Tvoe i Ko”, with stores operating in Moscow, St Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod and several other cities. While sales began in nine outlets in September, products are now listed as available across 19 locations.
Inditex distances itself as Russian intermediaries exploit global supply routes
Inditex halted operations in Russia in the first days of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine and sold its local business later that year. In summer 2025, CEO Óscar García Maceiras reiterated that conditions for returning to Russia “certainly do not exist”. Yet in September, the Russian company Disco Club filed 18 declarations of conformity mentioning Inditex as a supplier — documents that allow legal import but do not constitute shipping records. Some garments appear to have been destined for EU markets, while others arrived from China, where Inditex manufactures part of its stock.
Representatives of “Tvoe” say they cannot disclose contract details due to non-disclosure agreements and insist they have no direct relationship with Inditex. Disco Club’s owner, Burkhard Binder, stated he is not involved in the company’s current operations and has not participated in activities connected to Inditex brands. The Spanish group denies any ties with these structures and declined to comment on how its products reached Russia, stressing that it does not monitor third parties selling its items in markets where it has no presence.
Shadow demand fuels parallel imports and reputational risks
The resurgence of Inditex products points to enduring Russian demand for Western fashion, which persists despite sanctions and political isolation. For many consumers, brands like Zara or Bershka embody a sense of status and “normality”, sustaining a market for goods that enter through parallel or grey imports. Intermediaries exploit global supply chains by sourcing from the EU, China or other regions, effectively mimicking the presence of major brands.
Western companies are keen to underline their detachment from Russia due to reputational risk and public pressure. Returning to a market widely viewed as complicit in aggression would undermine corporate responsibility commitments and damage credibility across the EU and the United States. For this reason, major groups emphasise that they have no involvement in the reappearance of their items in Russian retail.
Weaknesses in global supply-chain controls exposed
Russian retailers, including “Tvoe”, increasingly launch new sub-brands to legitimise resale and obscure the origin of goods, while relying on paperwork such as declarations of conformity to simulate lawful import channels. However, these documents neither confirm official supply arrangements nor prove a direct link to the manufacturer.
The episode highlights vulnerabilities in global supply-chain oversight: even after a company formally exits a market, its products may still re-emerge through resale, leakage or re-routing via third countries. This creates a challenge for multinational firms, which must now find ways not only to end operations in Russia but also to block secondary circulation of their products to avoid reputational harm and prevent the erosion of sanctions.
