Next, JD Sports, Harrods are latest UK giants to cut Russia ties

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Mar 7, 2022

More UK businesses are cutting ties with Russia with Next being the latest big name to join the exodus. The company has a distribution centre in the country and also sells online there and said at the weekend that it was mothballing its warehouse, which will affect around 160 jobs in Russia.

The company will also turn off its Russian website indefinitely this week having earlier already stopped shipments of products there.

It has no physical stores in the country after its franchise shops were closed in 2019 by its local partner.

It's not known exactly how much of its turnover was accounted for by Russian sales.

Meanwhile, JD sports has also stopped all trading activity in Russia. In a London Stock Exchange announcement it said it was "shocked and deeply concerned" by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and that its sales in Russia added up to less than 0.05% of its annual revenue.

The move by the two British retail giants comes as a raft of big names in the UK also cut their ties with Russia. Luxury sellers Harrods and Harvey Nichols have both ceased deliveries into the country and Burberry has closed its doors there for now as well. Online Giants ASOS and Boohoo had earlier also stopped taking orders from Russian customers.