Political analyst. Former assistant professor at RUDN Moscow. PhD in political science. Bylines in Euronews, Bloomberg, Novaya Gazeta and Radar. Views my own.
More than 2,300 retail outlets closed in Moscow shopping malls between July 2025 and June 2026, with new openings replacing only about 80% of closed stores, according to Kommersant. Vacancy rates in Moscow malls rose from 9.7% to 11.6%, while similar trends were reported in St. Petersburg, Kazan, Novosibirsk, and Tyumen. Analysts attribute the decline to weaker consumer spending, rising business costs, and continued migration of shoppers to online marketplaces.