Page 150 - RusRPTOct20

9.2.7​ TMT corporate news
The launch of the Ukrainian operations of Russia's largest online retailer Wildberries on September 21 has stirred tensions due to sales of items prohibited in Ukraine. ​“The opening of a Ukrainian online store was our next step in the implementation of our international strategy,” Vyacheslav Ivaschenko, Wildberries' development director, said in the company’s press release. “We see high potential for development in this country, as its residents are increasingly making purchases in online stores and e-commerce continues to grow.” Ukrainian postal companies Meest and Nova Poshta will deliver Wildberries goods to Ukrainian customers with a delivery time around 10 to 12 days. Meanwhile since the launch, social media users noticed that the Ukrainian version of the store sells goods with Russian and Soviet symbols which are prohibited in Ukraine, as well as images of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Although Wildberries quickly removed most of these items from its Ukrainian offerings, social media users have heavily criticised the online retailer. Wildberries' headquarters is in Moscow, but Ukrainian customers will be served by the company's Poland-registered subsidiary, WILDBERRIES Sp.z.o.o.
Netflix video streaming major will launch in Russia in partnership with National Media Group (NMG), ​according to Broadbank TV News cited by Kommersant a​ nd ​Vedomosti d​ ailies on September 2. ​bne IntelliNews r​ eported that Russian video streaming platforms are gaining speed and saw a jump in subscriptions and spending on paid content amid the ​coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdowns​. Netflix intends to launch in Russia in mid-October, will dub its content into Russian and plans to host 100 original Russian productions on the platform by the end of 2020. NMG manages STC (CTC) Media, TV channels REN TV, Pyatiy and others. The representatives of Netflix and NMG confirmed the news to ​Kommersant,​ and noted that the goal was to completely localise the operations of the service in Russia. According to Russian legislation, foreigners can only own up to 20% in online cinemas in Russia with an audience of over 0.1mn monthly (Netflix has over 183mn subscribers globally). NMG is controlled by Rossiya Bank and SOGAZ, which are seen as affiliated with ADD. The group already represents such media groups as Discovery, Turner, Sony and Viasat in Russia, controlling over 25% of the pay TV market in the country.
Yandex​ announced that it plans to reintegrate its Beru marketplace into Yandex.Market. ​With the addition of Beru, Yandex.Market will cater for the entire purchase process (from warehousing to communicating with customers), as well as provide a price comparison service. According to Yandex, its enlarged e-commerce marketplace now has more than 7,000 suppliers, while the Yandex.Market price comparison platform (which works on the CPC model) services about 25,000 clients. Analysts think the company can use
150 ​RUSSIA Country Report​ October 2020 ​ ​www.intellinews.com