Street of closed shops – Kommersant

“In many shopping centers it was possible to meet Russian brands, but in the eyes of the consumer they remained in a kind of shadow,” Viktor Yevtukhov, deputy head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, told Kommersant in December. There was a lot of talk about the possibility of local clothing and footwear manufacturers last year, and some players, apparently, took the recommendation too literally, remembering the age-old “no place is empty”. Especially if we are talking about Stoleshnikov Lane, which earlier consulting companies included among the most expensive streets in the world.

In the summer of 2022, the flagship of the 12Storeez brand, launched in Yekaterinburg in 2014, appeared here. And although the democratization of the central shopping streets of Moscow has already become a trend and grocery stores have taken the place of boutiques on the once expensive Kutuzovsky Prospekt, 12Storeez decided to act differently. The other day, they announced that the entrance to the flagship store is possible only by appointment.

In social networks, this decision caused quite an unambiguous reaction. “Anti-service in its purest form. I was especially impressed that they might not let me in the store. Don’t you think it should work differently?” asks one of the clients in the brand’s Telegram channel. Blogger Natasha Davydova spoke more succinctly: “Girls, heavy luxury has returned to Moscow.”

In principle, 12Storeez did not hide their interest in luxury. “We are gradually starting to understand quality more and more, to be inspired by premium, luxury brands,” said Ivan Khokhlov, head of the company, in an interview with RBC.

Premium-class stores in Russia have closed en masse, and some of the brands entering the market may well try to position themselves as luxury. But for some reason, this inspiration was first expressed in the implementation of restrictions. Luxury brands do have them. By appointment only, you can, for example, get into the recently opened Gucci boutique in Los Angeles and Louis Vuitton in Shanghai.

Targeting the remaining consumers of expensive goods in Moscow may turn out to be a promising business idea, but the important point is where to start. “Luxurization” by closing stores to street shoppers can so far only be compared to a cargo cult whose adherents in Melanesia after World War II mimicked the actions of the military stationed there, hoping that Western goods would fall from the sky as a result. Such actions will amuse onlookers, but are unlikely to lead to an increase in sales. Difficulties with visiting stores are unlikely to be a factor that increases brand loyalty. And connoisseurs of high-quality local brands, which were the basis of the brand’s client base, may be completely scared off by such an approach.