The parent company of the Swedish furniture manufacturer IKEA announced on Thursday that they will temporarily close their stores in Russia and stop deliveries from Russia and Belarus due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“The devastating war in Ukraine is a human tragedy, and our deepest empathy and concern is with the millions of people affected,” said trademark owner Inter IKEA Holding and Ingka Group in a joint statement.
“The war has both a huge human impact and results in serious disruptions in the supply chain and trade conditions, which is why the corporate groups have decided to temporarily pause IKEA’s operations in Russia,” they said.
The move will affect approximately 15,000 workers and 17 stores.
“The business groups will secure employment and income stability and provide support to them and their families in the region,” said IKEA.
Fourteen Ingka Group malls in Russia will continue to operate “to ensure that the many people in Russia have access to their daily needs and essentials such as food, food and pharmacies,” the company said in a statement.
IKEA has already said it will need to raise its prices by 12% on average due to inflation and supply chain problems, Reuters reported.
IKEA’s move comes amid a wave of companies such as Boeing, Apple, Honda and many others announcing that they will stop or limit operations in Russia due to the invasion.
Some information in this report comes from Reuters.
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Source: sn.dk