US EditionWhat a deserted mall in Moscow says about Russia’s economic woes
Vacant shops and 13 transactions worth 3,417 rubles show how slowing growth and higher taxes are squeezing Russian consumers, workers said.
- In southern Moscow, the sprawling Goodzone mall appears increasingly deserted, with cashier Ivan reporting only 13 transactions on Thursday totaling 3,417 rubles , down sharply from the 300 transactions typical in better times.
- Russia's economy contracted 1.8% in the first two months of 2026, prompting the government to raise revenue by hiking value-added tax, or VAT, to 22% from January 1, 2026, straining businesses already struggling with wartime disruptions.
- While Russian billionaires saw combined wealth increase 11% over the past year, Alexandra Prokopenko, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin, told CNN the war has widened inequality: "We are seeing the rich get richer and the poor get poorer."
- Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged in mid-April that economic growth has been slowing for two consecutive months, while Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov warned last week the country could face a "Bolshevik-style revolution" if the government fails to address the crisis.
- State-Imposed internet and mobile phone outages affecting Moscow and other major cities have complicated business operations, with workers forced to access WiFi from home to process customer orders and communicate with clients.
19 Articles
19 Articles
At Goodzone, a luxury shopping mall on the outskirts of Moscow, the notes of pop music echo in the lobby. They should accompany the customary street shopping, but for months...
Pop music blares through the atrium of a luxury shopping mall in a middle-class residential neighborhood of Moscow. But what was supposed to be the soundtrack to the hustle and bustle of shoppers…
The extensive Goodzone mall opened doors in 2014 with large pomp. Although it remains open seven days a week, shops are empty and customers are few
A Moscow mall remained almost empty after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and this is presented by CNN journalists as a sign of economic problems: falling consumption, leaving Western companies and reducing the purchasing power of the population.
A mall in a suburb of Moscow is the perfect image of Russia's economic problems
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