YEREVAN — Wildberries and OZON, the largest Russian online retailers, with annual revenues of around $1.89 billion, are the equivalents of the Russian eBay and Amazon. Since May 2, Armenian entrepreneurs involved in these businesses have been raising the alarm about the impossibility of selling their products on the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) market.
While Armenian exporters complain that they cannot export their products, buyers confirm that they do not face any obstacles when purchasing goods. It turns out that it is possible to buy EAEU goods, but not to sell Armenian goods.
Comments on social media confirm that many are worried that Armenian goods cannot be exported on the site, noting that the excuse of a technical glitch or backlog is just that, rather than reality.
However, Wildberries explains that this situation is “due to the large number of accumulated orders.”
A statement it issued says: “Unfortunately, due to the large backlog of orders, we are forced to temporarily suspend shipping new orders from Armenia to customers in other countries. Customers within Armenia will be able to continue placing orders as usual. However, customers in other countries will not see products located in Armenia in search results for now, as they will be unable to order items that cannot be delivered quickly. Please note that future deliveries to EAEU countries may require documents confirming the origin of the goods and their correct registration.”
A political subtext is perceived in Armenia, where people are voicing opinions that Russia has begun punishing Armenia on the eve of the 8th European Political Community Summit which takes place in Yerevan.
