Harrods restricts Russians to little luxuries
Jewellery and designer clothes priced at more than £300 off limits as store enforces sanctions
‘The UK authorities have introduced regulations... that target the sale of certain categories of luxury goods’
FIRST their yachts were impounded, then their assets frozen.
Now, in possibly the most painful blow yet, Russians have been told they may not shop at Harrods.
Or not seriously, at any rate.
The landmark Knightsbridge department store has contacted its Russian customers warning them it will no longer sell them “luxury goods” worth more than £300 to comply with sanctions introduced in the wake of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Items ranging from jewellery and designer clothing to furniture and gym equipment are now off limits.
It is unclear if Harrods’ famous food hampers, which can cost up to £1,000, would also be on the banned list.
The Qatar-owned store has been combing its customer database, identifying those with Russian phone numbers or who have stated they live there.
An email sent by the department store to one wealthy Russian states: “The UK authorities have introduced further regulations as part of their sanctions against Russia which specifically target the sale of luxury goods.
“The regulations seek to prohibit the supply of many categories of luxury goods over certain values (generally £300) to individuals who are either currently or ordinarily in Russia”
The letter includes a link to the regulations and urges the customer to “review them”.
Harrods is beloved of the super rich, many of them tourists, who flock to its premises on London’s Brompton Road. The £300 limit will now leave Russian shoppers little choice in designer handbags, meaning they might have to settle for the Harrods-branded green backpack complete with Jacob the bear motif (only £35) instead.
Most of the store’s cashmere scarves would be forbidden to them, too.
The letter goes on: “To comply with these regulations, Harrods has been required to review its customer information to identify those customers who it appears might currently or usually be resident in Russia.”
It adds: “We have identified you as someone who might currently or ordinarily be resident in Russia. If this is correct, this would mean that you are subject to the regulations and we will be unable to supply you with any restricted luxury goods.”
The department store has declined to say how its business might be affected by the ban.
It is perhaps not surprising that Harrods now appears keen to enforce the new sanctions, having been criticised for continuing to sell expensive Russian vodka at the beginning of the Ukraine war in March.
It admitted “mistakenly” selling Beluga vodka, with bottles offered at more than £100.
Its decision to limit Russian purchases is likely to lead to accusations of discrimination from those affected.
Only last month, Russian influencers posted videos online of them cutting up their expensive Chanel handbags after being barred from making new purchases by the couture brand.
Harrods said in a statement: “The UK authorities have introduced further regulations as part of their ongoing sanctions against Russia, which specifically target the sale of certain categories of luxury goods. This impacts a wide range of retailers and brands, and relates to goods worth over a certain value (generally £300).”
The store went on: “In order to ensure we are complying with these restrictions, we reviewed our database to identify potentially impacted customers, and asked them to notify Harrods if the information we hold is not accurate and current. This was not based on nationality, but address/contact details or previous transaction delivery data.
“Our priority is to comply with regulations; informing potentially impacted customers on how it may limit their ability to shop at Harrods, and ensuring wider customers are not unduly affected. We are happy that we have been able to take this action and support customers in making them aware of recent government regulations.”