The Russian marketplace Wildberries has begun looking for large warehouse premises in Kazakhstan following a series of attacks by Ukrainian drones on its logistics centres in Russia. According to Kommersant, citing market sources, the RWB Group is considering leasing around 100,000 square metres, or the entire available stock of high-quality space.
Briefly about the main points
- RWB is considering leasing around 100,000 m² of warehouse space in Kazakhstan.
- There is around 130,000 m² of vacant, high-quality warehouse space in the country.
- There is no other single, vacant complex of this size on the market.
- At least seven Wildberries centres in Russia have been damaged.
- The company lost around 10% of storage capacity.
The company’s demand exceeds market capacity
One of *Kommersant*«s sources estimated Wildberries» requirements at around 100,000 square metres. Another said that the marketplace could take up all the available high-quality warehouse space in Kazakhstan. RWB did not explicitly confirm that the search was specifically linked to the drone strikes, stating instead that it was part of a planned infrastructure development programme across all countries where it operates.
The total volume of high-quality warehouse space in Kazakhstan is estimated at 2.4 million square metres. Of this, around 130,000 square metres remain available, spread across various cities. There is no single vacant block measuring 100,000 square metres on the market, so companies will likely have to either enter into several lease agreements or wait for their own premises to become available.
Wildberries It is already building a complex in Almaty covering an area of over 100,000 square metres. In Astana, the company plans to open a 160,000-square-metre facility next year. For the time being, goods are being redistributed amongst existing warehouses to keep the platform and its sellers operational.
Damage to shopping centres and landlords’ caution in Russia
At least seven Wildberries logistics centres in Russia have been damaged, with the loss of warehouse capacity amounting to approximately 15%. On the morning of 29 July, following yet another attack Staff at the centre in Ryazan were evacuated. The series of attacks began on 18 July and affected facilities in the Moscow, Tambov, Voronezh and Leningrad regions, the Krasnodar and Stavropol territories, and other regions.
Wildberries has 209 logistics facilities with a total area of around 5.6 million square metres. Initial estimates of losses resulting from the strikes on the largest complexes, including sellers’ goods, stood at 150–170 billion roubles, whilst Forbes estimated the cost of repairing the damaged buildings at 30–33 billion roubles.
According to *Kommersant*, owners of warehouse property in Russia have become more cautious about entering into new contracts with the marketplace due to the risk of their facilities being targeted. This limits the company’s ability to quickly replace damaged centres within the country.
The Kazakhstan route does not promise cheaper delivery
Redirecting part of the stock to Kazakhstan may reduce the concentration of Wildberries’ logistics operations in Russia, but it does not result in significant savings. Average rental rates in Kazakhstan have already almost caught up with those in Moscow, and redirecting goods could increase the distance and cost of delivery to customers in Russia.
At the same time, both countries are members of the Eurasian Economic Union. The movement of goods between them, free from traditional customs barriers, simplifies the redistribution of stock between warehouses.
The Russian government is discussing possible support for Wildberries and the businesses that sell via the platform. Options under consideration include loans from state-owned banks, tax breaks and subsidies. It will take the company at least a month to assess the full extent of the losses and determine the procedure for compensating sellers.
