Russian biggest steelmaker bets on e-commerce to boost sales

Severstal PJSC is putting the finishing touches on an online shop that Russia’s biggest steelmaker by market value promises will make buying its products as easy as downloading an e-book or ordering a pair of shoes.

The company, which is controlled by Russia’s richest man, Alexey Mordashov, started testing its new website in November and plans to have the system fully operational by the end of March, Marketing Director Dmitry Goroshkov said by e-mail. The company is targeting online sales of 3.5 million metric tons by 2018, equal to about one-third of its total last year.