While not citing the war with Ukraine as their reason for closing their Russian operations, the LEGO Group have decided to pull out of the country entirely and indefinitely, stating “Given the continued extensive disruption in the operating environment, we have decided to indefinitely cease commercial operations in Russia.”
Lego has announced that it is stopping all its operations in Russia ‘indefinitely’ following its earlier decision to pause all deliveries to the country.
The moves will mean the closure of 81 Lego stores and the ending of the company’s partnership with Inventive Retail Group, which owned and operated the stores on The Lego Group’s behalf. Around 70 employees at The Lego Group’s Moscow office will also be affected, with the company saying the majority of its workforce there will be cut. In a statement, Lego said it has provided 70 employees with financial packages to support them as they look for new opportunities.
The company was one of several placed on a list in May detailing products that could be imported without the agreement of the intellectual property owner in order to bypass restrictions imposed over the conflict in Ukraine.
