Harrods to limit sales of luxury to Russian consumers

It has not been a good week for Russian shoppers. After the announcement that McDonald’s was withdrawing from the Russian Federation, Harrods has reportedly informed its Russian clients it can no longer sell high priced luxury goods in the wake of Russia’s invasion in Ukraine.

Several news outlets have stated that limited sales to Russia’s high net worth individuals is in line with global sanctions on Russia’s elite.

As a haven for luxury goods loved by Russian, Harrods has long been a purveyor of the most high-end labels and opulent brands available globally.

The email, seen by The Telegraph, said: “As you may be aware, the UK authorities have introduced further regulations as part of their ongoing sanctions against Russia, which specifically target the sale of luxury goods.”

The regulations seek to prohibit the supply of many categories of luxury goods over certain values (generally 300 pounds) to individuals who are either currently or ordinarily in Russia. To comply with these regulations, Harrods has been required to review its customer information to identify those customers who it appears (by reference to the country or phone number information they have provided to us) might currently or usually be resident in Russia.”

Earlier this year fury from Russian influencers saw wealthy shoppers destroy their Chanel bags in response to luxury brands halting sales in Russia.

Figures from Business Today say the UK government has sanctioned, or designated, over 1,000 Russian individuals and 100 entities, including oligarchs with a net global worth of over 117 billion pounds.