Illustrating the continued traction of the Russian e-commerce market, Italian brand Furla launched last month an online sales channel for its Russian customers.
Furla’s move comes after recent similar initiatives from other western companies such as Vans, H&M and L’Oréal Group.
The Russian version of the online boutique offers a variety of luxury bags, wallets, glasses, watches, and other accessories for both men and women. The assortment, which includes the newest collections, matches that of the brand’s physical outlets, a company representative told Russian e-commerce blog E-Pepper.
However, when tested by East-West Digital News on Oct. 16, the online boutique did not seem fully functional, or its usability left to be desired.
Orders are delivered by DHL for an additional fee, which varies from 480 to 1,200 rubles ($7.6 and $19, respectively, at the current exchange rate), depending on the customer’s geographic location.
In contrast with many Russian e-commerce sites, where most payments are made by cash on delivery, the Furla e-shop accepts only pre-payment by electronic payment such as bank cards and e-wallets Qiwi and WebMoney, reports E-Pepper.
“[Online sales] are one of [our] most important tasks since e-commerce is developing positively, in Russia like elsewhere,” E-Pepper quoted Furla’s general director Alberto Camerlengo as saying.
Founded in 1927 in Bologna, Furla is a renowned maker of leather goods. The company is present in 100 countries with more than 450 single-brand shops, including nearly 20 in Russia, and a large distribution network.
Online sales of physical goods in Russia amounted to nearly $15 billion in 2015 (including more than $10 billion from domestic online retailers). Market growth could reach some 20% this year, in contrast with the stagnation of the offline retail market due to the economic crisis.
