Ikea launches a last online sale before its final departure from the country, but the site does not resist the influx of customers

In Russia, Ikea is almost over. The Swedish-born furniture giant – in fact the company has been based in the Netherlands for a long time – announced in June that it would leave Russia permanently after initially closing its 17 stores, four factories and putting technically unemployed its 15,000 employees in Russia. Before leaving, Ikea is launching a final online sale of its remaining inventory in the territory.

At least should have launched because the influx of customers caused a huge computer bug on the furniture manufacturer’s website in Russia. Tens of thousands of Russians like Zlata were unable to buy their latest furniture from the brand. “I had been preparing for a weekshe says. At midnight, as he said, I logged in and realized the site was down, nothing happened.”

Zlata, however, would very much like to buy the dishwasher that is missing in her kitchen and that only Ikea sells. In the meantime, there is a hole in the middle of his furniture. Like many Russians, she had become very attached to the brand’s products, which have no equivalent in Russia, explains Natalia, another disappointed customer: “I am very sad about the departure of Ikea. Of course many brands have left us, but even if I am someone who loves fashion, I am much less sad about the departure of Western brands than Ikea. Because we don’t ‘have nothing at all to replace it.”

“If we have alternatives for clothes, there are none for Ikea.”

Natalia, Russian

at franceinfo

Thursday, July 7, in the evening, the Ikea Russia website still displayed an error message. Zlata is looking to see if she can import her dishwasher via Ikea to Kazakhstan, while Natalia bought Ikea tea towels and sheets that came from Poland and passed through the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad.