Eye on Retail: Amazon shuts out Russia

Amazon customers in Russia have been cut off from the e-commerce giant amid their country’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Amazon announced in a blog post that it has suspended shipments of retail products to customers in Russia and Belarus. It also is halting access to Prime Video for customers based in Russia, and will no longer take orders for its recently released online multiplayer video game, New World.

Amazon had previously announced that its cloud-computing business, Amazon Web Services, had stopped accepting new customers in Russia and Belarus. The company also said it has been providing cybersecurity assistance to Ukraine and has donated $5 million to organizations providing help on the ground.

Amazon noted that it has no data centers, infrastructure, or offices in Russia, and has a long-standing policy of not doing business with the Russian government.

“We’re continuing to partner with several NGOs and organizations to support the immense humanitarian needs in the region. Amazon donated $5 million to support those impacted,” the company stated. “We continue to match our employees’ donations, and we’re happy to report that over 10,000 employees have donated to the effort. Tens of thousands of customers around the world have also made donations via our homepages, and we’re making sure those funds get to Save the Children and the Red Cross on the ground.”

Amazon’s decision to halt shipments to Russia comes as many prominent global retailers, including Ikea and H&M, and two of the world’s largest U.S.-based restaurant brands have also temporarily paused operations in Russia.

(This article originally appeared on HBSDealer's sister site, Chainstoreage.com.)