Russians are purchasing fewer clothes and shoes due to reducing incomes, growing VAT and inflation.
In 2019, apparel and footwear sales dropped by 3-4%. Overall, items worth a total of RUR 2.26-2.29 trln ($38 bln) were sold last year. At the same time, experts do not expect the situation to get better in the new year. According to Fashion Consulting Group (FCG), apparel and footwear sales have dropped by 9% since 2015. In 2016, the market grew a little, by 1%. In 2017 it grew by 3%. In 2018, the market was the same size as in 2017, according to Kommersant daily.
Experts say that people simply cannot afford to buy new clothes. At the same time, it is possible to spare more money on clothes than on entertainment.