UPDATE 1-Shoemaker Geox suspends new direct investments in Russia

A spokesperson for Geox, which mainly operates in Russia and Ukraine through third parties, told Reuters on Friday that a final decision on its strategy had been taken at the beginning of May, following discussions that began after Moscow invaded its neighbour in late February. Directly operated stores in Russia, which account for 30% of Geox's business there, were still open, the spokesperson said, adding that commercial agreements with franchising and wholesale retailers remained in place due to contractual obligations.

Italian shoemaker Geox said it had suspended new direct investments in Russia, such as marketing and communications and the opening of new stores, as it grapples with the challenges of reducing its exposure to the country. A spokesperson for Geox, which mainly operates in Russia and Ukraine through third parties, told Reuters on Friday that a final decision on its strategy had been taken at the beginning of May, following discussions that began after Moscow invaded its neighbor in late February.

Directly operated stores in Russia, which account for 30% of Geox's business there, were still open, the spokesperson said, adding that commercial agreements with franchising and wholesale retailers remained in place due to contractual obligations. Geox was one of more than 200 Western companies that had been continuing business as usual in Russia up until now, according to data from the Yale School of Management https://bit.ly/3L5x2sZ.

"It's not easy to leave," the spokesperson said, adding that 70% of Geox's business in Russia had been developed through wholesale business and franchising. Geox had canceled all new orders from third parties in Russia and was withdrawing its "European management", the spokesperson said, referring to the resignation of two Italian managers who were working remotely as members of the board of Geox's Russian business.

On Thursday, Geox reported a 24.3% rise in first-quarter revenues at current exchange rates to 184.4 million euros ($191.5 million) and said it expected 2022 revenues to top 700 million euros, noting the target could become "challenging" should no solution to the Ukrainian crisis be found soon. ($1 = 0.9630 euros)

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