A Russian government commission has approved the sale of Ikea’s factories in Russia to two local buyers, reports Reuterswhich refers to statements by Deputy Industry and Trade Minister Viktor Yevtukhov to the Izvestia newspaper on Thursday.
The buyers are the kitchen manufacturer Slotex and the wood product manufacturer Luzales, and Ikea hopes to finalize an agreement early this year. Brand owner Inter Ikea Group has previously announced the sale of its four factories in Tikhvin, Novgorod and Vyatka.
– Will get all possible help
According to Izvestia, two of the facilities have been merged, so that three facilities will be part of the agreement. The factories will continue to operate and sell goods to Russian stores.
“The sale is subject to a mandatory approval process. This process is between the authorities and the applicant companies. We have agreed with the potential buyers not to share any details out of respect for them and the integrity of the sales process,” writes Inter Ikea in a statement.
Ikea closed its warehouses in Russia last March, two weeks after President Vladimir Putin entered Ukraine in a so-called “special military operation.” The Swedish furniture giant, which reopened for a short online fire sale this summer, also announced that its workforce in the country of 15,000 employees would be reduced.
– It is important to us that the production facilities function and develop, and that jobs are preserved. The new owners can count on all possible state aid measures, if necessary, says Minister Yevtukhov according to Izvestia.
Shopping centers are open
At the same time as the furniture warehouses were closed, the Ikea group announced that the 14 shopping centers operated under the Mega brand would remain open.
And the centers, of which three in Moscow and two in St. Petersburg, are still open, wrote Today’s Industry early January this year.
Around 124,000 square meters in total retail space, around 200 stores per center and more than 250 million visitors annually make Mega the market leader in Russia.
