WESTERN companies are cutting ties with Russia due to the war in Ukraine, but some are still trading in the country.
Burger King, M&S and Cadbury’s are among the popular brands still operating in Russia.
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Mondelez, the US food giant which owns Cadbury, today said it has scaled back all non-essential work in the country due to the war.
But its Russian arm is still trading to provide essentials.
Meanwhile, other consumer companies still have franchised stores open, as those operations are under the control of local business owners.
Firms including McDonald’s and Coca Cola were criticised for maintaining their presence in the country but have since suspended operations.
The owner of fashion retailer Uniqlo has also confirmed a U-turn and said it will now suspend operations in Russia.
Earlier this week, Fast Retailing said it would keep Russian shops open, describing clothes as a “necessity of life”.
But it has now halted operations in the face of “operational challenges” due to the “worsening of the conflict situation”.
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Japanese gaming giants Sony and Nintendo also announced today that they will suspend deliveries of consoles in Russia as a result of the war in Ukraine.
Here’s a list of the companies that are still trading in Russia.
Burger King
Burger King’s owner Restaurant Brands International released a statement on Tuesday condemning the war in Ukraine.
But it stopped short of closing its 800 restaurants in Russia, instead saying profits from those stores will be given to humanitarian charities.
It’s restaurants in Russia are franchises, managed by independent local operators.
The firm, which also owns US brands Tim Hortons, Popeyes and Firehouse Subs, said it has already given $3million to support Ukrainian refugees.
Of that, $1million is from its Russian restaurant profits, which has been donated to the United Nations refugee agency.
Mondelez
Snacks giant Mondelez, which owns Cadbury’s, is still operating in Russia.
It said it has scaled back all “non-essential activities” in the country but is “helping maintain continuity of the food supply during the challenging times ahead”.
The firm wouldn’t confirm what essential activities were continuing.
A spokesperson said: “We will focus our operation on basic offerings, discontinue all new capital investments and suspend our advertising media spending.
“We recognize this is a highly dynamic and very concerning situation that we will continue to assess and adjust as needed.”
M&S
Marks & Spencer has an agreement with a Turkish franchise partner, which runs 48 M&S stores in Russia.
Those stores, which aren’t operated by M&S, remain open, but the UK retailer has stopped all shipments to the franchisee.
Pepsico
Pepsico has suspended the sale of Pepsi and 7up in Russia as well as all investment and advertising.
However it will continue to offer other products including milk, baby formula and baby food.
It said the decision was staying “true to the humanitarian aspect of our business”.
“By continuing to operate, we will also continue to support the livelihoods of our 20,000 Russian associates and the 40,000 Russian agricultural workers in our supply chain as they face significant challenges and uncertainty ahead,” the company said in a statement.
Hilton
Hotel giant Hilton has closed its Moscow office but its hotels in Russia will remain open.
It has also paused all new development activity in the country.
The company said it is donating up to 1million nights in its hotels to support Ukrainian refugees.
Profits from business operations in Russia will be donated to humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine, it said.
Marriott
Hotel chain Marriott has also paused the opening of upcoming hotels, new developments and investment in Russia.
Its properties in the country, which are owned by third parties, will continue to remain open and trade, Reuters reported.
IHG
Similarly, Intercontinental Hotels Group, the owner of the Holiday Inn brand, has suspended investments, developments and openings in Russia.
But its branches in the country remain open for business.
It has closed its Moscow corporate office.
However, its hotels will stay open as they are managed by third-party firms, Reuters reported.
Which companies have cut ties with Russia due to the war in Ukraine?
These firms are among the companies that have stopped trading in Russia:
- Adidas
- Apple
- Arc
- Asos
- BP
- British Gas
- Coca Cola
- Compare the Market
- Co-op
- Disney
- FA and Fifa
- H&M
- HSBC
- Ikea
- Mastercard
- McDonald’s
- Netflix
- Nightcap Group
- Nike
- Paypal
- Shell
- Sony
- Sainsbury’s
- Uber
- Visa
- Volvo
- Warner
- Wetherspoon
- Zara
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