Do Big Companies Really Leave Russia?

Everyone is over-concerned about the macroeconomic effect of the redistribution of trade relations against the backdrop of sanctions against Russia. However, I would like to look at the situation on a slightly different scale. What is happening there? Are they fleeing from the tasty Russian market in large numbers?

They seem to run, but they don't.

Some do it reluctantly and for a show (with the hope of returning at any opportunity), while some are completely categorically opposed.

for example. The parent company of the popular clothing brand Fast Retailing Co solemnly and officially announced that it will continue to work in Russia under any circumstances. Like, there (read - in one of the most significant markets) live the same people who need clothes, like in the rest of the world. And the company does not see an opportunity to deprive them of the sacred right to be dressed in Uniqlo.

Or Disney. Yes, Disney spoke out in support of the American position, refused to rent films on Russian territory, but at the same time ... continues to sell its toys in Russia. This can be understood - the company's income from merchandise has long exceeded the income from the actual film distribution. And something tells me that the lack of categoricalness concerning all their products, without exception, gives hope for the return of the film component.

How about French President Emmanuel Macron who also advised that French businesses should not rush to leave the Russian market. As an illustration of his words, Danone has carefully suspended investment processes in Russia but continues to produce its products in the same volumes.

In other words, the business is well aware that leaving Russia, it loses a lot of money. Relying on the fact that the Russian market will wait forever for the return of certain brands and will not make up for their absence at the expense of domestic or Asian companies would be naive. And Western business is not ready to recklessly serve the interests of politics to the detriment of it's own interests.

Neither before nor now.