Luxury Brands’ Weakness in Russia

[Tania Zucker]

Although Russia is one of the fastest growing markets for luxury products, the sales of foreign luxury brands have lagged mainly because they have failed to translate their websites into the Russian language. If they had chosen professional Russian translation for their website they could have taken advantage of this expanding market. Russia’s 77.5 million Internet users suggest that that electronic communication is vital to the success of foreign companies. Russian consumers prefer to shop from websites that are in their native language. Therefore, in order to succeed in Russia foreign businesses must recognize the necessity of Russian translation services for their online platform. Studies show that approximately five percent of the population in Russia is proficient in the English language but only 14% of luxury goods sellers offer a Russian-language e-commerce website. These statistics show that high-end businesses have not noticed the value of Russian translation service for the sale of their luxury consumer goods to Russians. Translating the content put on the Internet will help firms better connect with their customers and increase their sales. Experts have also criticized the failure of prestigious brands to launch social media pages in the Russian language. In 2012 the purchases of luxury goods comprised more than 50% of all online sales in Russia. Therefore, translating websites and social media platforms into the Russian language is compulsory for the long-term prosperity of these suppliers. With that said, not every firm is guilty of ignoring the language needs of the Russian consumer. Some companies such as Estée Lauder and Dolce & Gabbana have tried to reach Russian consumers online. Their websites have been translated into Russian. In addition, Shopbop has recently launched a website in the Russian language in an effort to increase its customer base among native Russian speakers. Using professional Russian translation will help this American online fashion boutique drive a lot of traffic into its website, making their shopping experience more convenient. This entity, which was acquired by Amazon in 2006, has not only rendered professional Russian translation services to translate its website for the Russian-speaking consumers, but it has also offered customer support in this language. Russian-speakers can now get in touch directly with a customer service representative and ask questions without the assistance of a translator. Any foreign firm that believes it can succeed in Russia without professional translation for Russian should definitely reconsider its position. The examples above clearly show the significance of professional Russian translation services for websites and social media business pages when one tries to extend its presence to Russia.        

 

California Center for Translation & Interpretation offers high-quality Russian translation services. Please contact us to learn how you can have your documents or websites translated into Russian. 

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