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Globus store in Wachau: No withdrawal from Russia planned
Photo: Michael Schöne / IMAGO
The Russian business of German companies is currently under particular scrutiny.
Once a great hope for growth for many companies, it is now becoming a major problem.
However, the retail group Globus does not want to part with its markets in Russia.
“We wish for nothing more than for peace to return soon.
But we don't want to operate with political statements, not in one direction, not in the other," said Thomas Bruch, senior manager of the Globus retail chain, to manager magazin.
Bruch senior is chairman of the board of trustees of the German-Russian Forum, which aims to promote mutual understanding.
Globus has an annual turnover of eight billion euros and employs 47,000 people.
The family business started in 1828 in St. Wendel, Saarland.
Today, Globus owns dozens of self-service and real stores, hardware stores, gas stations and consumer electronics stores, 19 of which are so-called “hypermarkets” in Russia.
Matthias Bruch, son of senior partner Thomas Bruch, runs the company.
Besides Metro, Globus is the last German retailer to remain in the country after Russia attacked Ukraine.
(Read here why western corporations shy away from fleeing Russia.)
Other companies find it easier to say goodbye to Russia, for example if they don't have their own branches there.
The outdoor clothing company Schöffel from Schwabmünchen near Augsburg very quickly withdrew from the Russian market as a reaction to the war in the Ukraine.
"Three days after the outbreak of the war, I called our partner in Russia myself and told him that we were no longer supplying clothes to Russia with immediate effect," said owner Peter Schöffel of the "Augsburger Allgemeine".
»We cannot insist on human rights being respected when manufacturing our products in other countries and turn a blind eye to Russia.«
mmq/AFP