Russians frustrated as Western brand substitutes disappoint

Western brands have withdrawn from Russia. The Kremlin claimed Russian knockoffs are just as good, but this has proven false. The decline in product quality in Russian stores is deepening.

As reported by "Rzeczpospolita," over the last three decades, citizens of the Russian Federation have become accustomed to having the most prestigious brands from around the world in their country. After decades of communist bleakness, they eagerly embraced the available products. Now, the newspaper notes, they find themselves returning to times when they did not have access to such goods.

They are forced to give up luxury cars like Audi or Mercedes in favor of domestic brands like Lada or Moskvich. Instead of a well-known brand refrigerator, they must settle for a product from an unknown Chinese manufacturer or even revert to Soviet times and choose the Belarusian "Minsk." This drastic change is not welcomed by many Russians, especially those from large cities, according to "Rz."

According to a study conducted by the company B1 (formerly the Russian branch of E&Y), which is being published by Kommersant, 60% of Russians noticed a decline in the quality of products that replaced Western brands. Consumer dissatisfaction is growing; in the fall of last year, 44% of Russians were dissatisfied with the quality of substitutes.

The number of Russians ready to pay more for a known brand product is increasing. Six months ago, 45% of respondents made such a declaration, which is already more than half. Those willing to pay more do so primarily because of quality.

Kommersant notes that Russians have started to pay more attention to the quality of their purchases, especially with rising prices. Quality was indicated as an important factor in decision-making by 82% of respondents, which is 9 percentage points more than in the fall of 2023. The majority of respondents—95%—still believe that the price of the product is the most important factor.