More than 200,000 small and medium-sized businesses have closed in Russia over the past three months — Forbes
In the first quarter of 2026, 209,000 small and medium-sized businesses ceased operations in Russia, an increase of nearly 9% compared to the same period last year.
Forbes reports this, citing data from the Kontur.Focus service.
According to experts, retail, restaurants, and beauty salons were hit the hardest. Among the main reasons cited are high interest rates, a decline in consumer purchasing power, increased competition, and a rising tax burden.
According to the publication, up to 40% of clothing stores in Russia may close by the end of the year due to declining foot traffic in shopping centers and pressure from online marketplaces.
At the same time, some large companies are not closing entirely but are reducing the number of brick-and-mortar stores to optimize costs. This applies, in particular, to the O’Stin, VkusVill, and L’Etoile chains.
Downsizing is also being observed in the food service sector, where businesses are facing weak demand, labor shortages, and rising costs.
Meanwhile, in Russia, production and sales of agricultural machinery have plummeted.
After three years of unexpected economic growth, Russia is facing a sudden slowdown—war costs, inflation, and falling oil prices have begun to weigh on an economy that until recently seemed resilient to sanctions.
