Louis Vuitton Preparing To Return To The Russian Market?

French luxury brand Louis Vuitton has registered up to six new trademarks in Russia, according to media reports citing records kept by the country’s federal intellectual property agency, Rospatent.

Louis Vuitton filed an application in October, and Rospatent registered a new trademark this month, which is valid until 2034. The Rospatent database apparently shows that the brand has registered trademarks covering the sale of perfumes, jewellery, watches, cosmetics, and shoe care products, suggesting that they intend to manufacture and sell jewellery and fashion items once again in Russia.

LV are renowned for their high-end leather goods, apparel, and accessories, but closed its Russian stores in March 2022 as part of a broader withdrawal by Western brands following the escalation of the conflict with Ukraine. That withdrawal from the Russian market lead to some backlash against LV and other luxury brands such as Chanel in Russia, with several social media personalities cutting up LV products online in a show of defiance as what they called a lack of duty to their long-standing customers. Louis Vuitton also upset Muscovites with a huge ‘disrespectful’ pop-up store they erected in Red Square in 2013. France had invaded Russia 200 years earlier resulting in the destruction of Moscow. Brands such as these will have to work hard to gain back respect for their products in the Russia market.

Many of Louis Vuitton products are made in Asia, with numerous leather goods produced in Taiwan.

The new trademark registrations suggest a strategic effort to maintain brand presence and protect intellectual property rights in the Russian market. Other brands such as IKEA, Christian Dior, Gucci, Coca-Cola, and Starbucks have also filed to register or renew trademarks in Russia since their exits.