‘Retailers’ combining against Panasonic has nothing to do with us. Our shops don’t sell DECT-standard phones, the ones that Panasonic mainly produces. This company officially stopped supplying its GSM-phones in Russia one year ago, so we don’t have those either,’ the Commercial Director of Simphonia retail chain Andrei Starodubtsev said to UrBC representative.

Russia’s largest retail chains dealing in consumer electronics (EuroSet, Svyaznoy, Eldorado, M.Video, TechnoSila, and Mir) came up with a statement accusing Panasonic of supplying illegally produced or imported appliances that do not meet the Russian quality requirements and of failing to pay the customs duties. These companies decided to stop selling goods by Panasonic in their stores.