RZD, the Russian state-owned railways monopoly, has just launched a free mobile app offering train schedules and allowing travelers to purchase electronic tickets. A click-to-call function allows users to reach the company’s call center easily. In contrast with the appalling usability of the company’s website, RZD’s mobile app, which we tested, is quite convenient. A few …
ASOS.com, a major British online fashion retailer, is now planning to launch local operations in Russia. The site’s press service confirmed the news to East-West Digital News, but denied a rumor that it was also considering an acquisition. ASOS is among the most popular sites selling to Russian shoppers from abroad. As EWDN’s recent report …
UK online retailer ASOS comes to Russia as cross border sales doubled in a year Read More
Among the growing number of players competing on the Russian furniture and home decor online landscape, The Furnish, a site launched last week, demonstrates some originality. It focuses on the premium segment, claiming to be the first online furniture retailer with this specific positioning, and offering items in various styles, from ‘Country’ to ‘Eco-Style’ and …
New online furniture retailer serves ‘American bourgeois-style’ Russian shoppers Read More
Last October Germany’s giant startup incubator Rocket Internet invested $10 million in its portfolio company Mebelrama.ru, a Russian online furniture retailer. The transaction was revealed only this past Friday by Mebelrama co-founder Manuella Stoll in an interview with Russian business daily Kommersant. The investment will help Mebelrama enlarge its assortment, move to a new warehouse, …
Mebelrama.ru attracts $10 million from Rocket Internet as competition tightens Read More
Swiss private equity fund Pluribus Optimum announced last week its plan to invest €100 million in e-commerce projects in Russia and neighboring countries by the end of 2015. The fund will focus on improving processing, document flow, billing organization, and payment acceptance in online stores, as well as 3PL logistics. “We have identified e-commerce as …
Swiss fund to invest €100 million in Russian ecommerce infrastructure and services Read More
Megafon, a major Russian mobile operator controlled by Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, has acquired a 50% stake in Euroset, Russia’s first mobile phone retailer, from Alexander Mamut, a prominent Russian businessman. Vimpelcom, another leading mobile operator, has increased its stake in Euroset from 49.9% to 50%. The deal has valued the company at $2.3 billion, …
Megafon acquires 50% stake in mobile retailer Euroset, eyes mobile operator Tele2 Read More
Alisher Usmanov, the Russian billionaire who backs the leading global Internet investment fund DST Global, is now avoiding the US and focusing on China, Bloomberg reported yesterday. The valuations of US technology companies are too high to justify making new investments, Ivan Streshinskiy, chief executive officer of the company that manages Usmanov’s assets, was quoted …
Eldorado, a leading home appliance and consumer electronics retailer, is planning to open up to 200 small outlets next year for electronic ordering and delivery. As the company’s press service explained to Russian business daily Kommersant, these outlets of less than 100 sq. m. will be deployed in locations not suited for standard hypermarkets – …
Retailers downsize offline outlets for online sales Read More
Printio.ru, a Moscow-based startup offering personalized printing services, has just raised $700,000 from a total of 18 Russian and Western business angels. The terms of the deal have not been disclosed, but Printio’s co-founder Aleksandr Shamis told East-West Digital News that the founders got a “good valuation” and have kept a controlling stake. Launched officially …
MobiDengi, a major Russian electronic payment service provider, has teamed up with MasterCard to launch ‘MasterCard*Card2Day,’ a pre-paid virtual card that enables online purchases worldwide. The card is available to any subscriber of Russia’s three main mobile operators: Beeline (a brand of Vimpelcom), Megafon, and MTS. A convenient feature of the MasterCard*Card2Day card is that …
MobiDengi and MasterCard make virtual payment card available to Russian mobile subscribers Read More
Оpera Software, whose mobile browser stands as the most popular in Russia, is about to launch a paid musical offer designed specifically for the Russian market. Artem Zinoviev, Opera’s Development Director for Russia and the CIS, told the Russian business daily Vedomosti that the new service will be made available for approximately 150 rubles, or …
Last week, Delivery Hero, a Berlin-based online food ordering company operating in a dozen of countries, and Foodik.ru, announced a merger agreement aiming to “compete for leadership on the Russian market” and “access new international growth opportunities.” The merged company will operate under the Foodik brand, allowing Delivero.ru customers to access Russian restaurants through Foodik’s …
Germany’s Delivery Hero and Russia’s Foodik announce merger Read More
