Wildberries prices surge after drone strikes disrupt Russia's largest online marketplace

Prices for thousands of products sold through Russia's largest online marketplace, Wildberries, have increased by 10–30% following a series of drone attacks on the company's warehouse network, according to sellers and shoppers.

Customers have reported that items saved in their shopping carts became significantly more expensive within days. One buyer said a product that cost 1,600 rubles the previous week was priced at 2,100 rubles after the attacks, while others reported increases ranging from 10% to 35%, The Moscow Times reports.

Sellers say they did not raise prices themselves. Instead, they attribute the increases to Wildberries' decision to scale back platform-funded discounts that had previously reduced prices for consumers. Under the marketplace's policies, Wildberries can adjust prices during promotional campaigns without consulting sellers when it finances the discounts.

"Wildberries has essentially cancelled almost all of the promotions it was funding itself," one major seller operating across Russia's four largest online marketplaces said. "The company is restoring its logistics network and has to cover losses from warehouses destroyed by fires. The result is that almost everything has become noticeably more expensive."

The price increases come as the marketplace faces mounting logistical challenges. Sellers reported that delivery times, which previously averaged two to four days, have stretched to around ten days for many orders. While deliveries have continued, many customers have experienced delays as the company works to reroute shipments.

Between July 18 and July 31, Ukrainian drone strikes targeted Wildberries warehouses covering more than one million square metres, according to estimates cited by industry experts. The affected facilities account for at least 15% of the logistics infrastructure operated by RWB, the company behind Wildberries.

Although the company retains other warehouse facilities and can lease additional space, analysts say the attacks hit some of its largest distribution centres, significantly disrupting operations.

The effects have also spread to rival marketplace Ozon. Sellers operating on both platforms say Ozon has also reduced its own platform-funded discounts despite its logistics network remaining largely unaffected.

According to analysts, Ozon's warehouse network is more geographically dispersed than Wildberries', making it less vulnerable to disruption from attacks on individual facilities. However, sellers say the reduction in discounts has increased commission costs on some products and contributed to a decline in sales across both platforms.

Wildberries has begun making payments to businesses whose goods were destroyed in warehouse fires. On July 30, the company completed a second round of payments, saying 175,000 small and medium-sized businesses had received financial support.

Many sellers, however, argue that the payments cover only a fraction of their losses. One entrepreneur said the compensation received represented only a small share of the value of goods destroyed in the fires.

Wildberries has described the transfers as business support payments rather than full compensation.

The Russian government has also discussed measures to assist affected businesses, including compensation based on the value of lost goods, loan repayment holidays and preferential lending through the Bank of Russia, according to participants in government consultations.

By Sabina Mammadli