Ingvar Kamprad

The Swedish company (IKEA) says it won’t build more stores outside the Moscow region until local officials stop withholding permission for two outlets in the central cities of Samara and Ufa. After investing US$4-billion in Russia over 10 years, IKEA placed a freeze on expansion in June 2009… (Link)

I got 8 emails from America that point to this fact. People are so sure that Russia is a bribe city. That makes me smile. Then I have to smile when I see companies like IKEA whine and cry. Lately this company has done a lot of crying (literally) trying to cover up their reputation flaws…

Also Notice that IKEA says, “it won’t build more stores outside the Moscow.” Rats I hoped they would not build anymore stores at all…

So they plan on building more stores in Moscow?

The reason the stores aren’t opening is that IKEA is refusing to pay bribes to safety inspectors, said Kirill Kabanov, head of the non-governmental National Anti-Corruption Committee in Moscow…

Sounds like IKEA has internal problems, who thought that they should pay bribes to get business done in Russia. They thought wrong…

Ikea founder Ingvar Kamprad, considered one of the wealthiest people in the world, controls the company through a secret foundation worth 100 billion kronor ($15.34 billion), according to a Sveriges Television (SVT) report… (Link)

and how about this for employees: (It takes two to tangle!)

Ikea’s founder Ingvar Kamprad on Friday expressed “distress” over a bribery affair which has led to the firing of the Swedish furniture giant’s two top managers of its Russian division… (Link)

Orders come from the top on such decisions…

Companies like IKEA are despicable and two-faced. Work the smear campaign to save face at the home town front and hope one of its biggest external markets does not catch on and quit buying from them…

But you do not care. If it is anti-Russia then all is good…

Windows to Russia!

• Russia Repels Retailers as Ikea Halt Curtails Medvedev BRIC Goal (businessweek.com)
• Ikea says halting Russian expansion due to corruption (financialpost.com)
• But Wait, There’s More! IKEA Russia Corruption Misery Continues (therussiamonitor.com)
• The Moscow Planetarium Lives… (windowstorussia.com)
• Interview of an American Living in Russia… (Paul Eng) (windowstorussia.com)
• Russia marks Defender of Fatherland Day… (windowstorussia.com)
• Russian Video From Russia: Check this out on the bombing at Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport… (windowstorussia.com)
• Don’t Come to Russia and Coffee Thoughts… (windowstorussia.com)
• Wal-Mart Closing Moscow Office… (windowstorussia.com)
• Will Terminated Mayor Yuri Luzhkov be back to Russia? (windowstorussia.com)
• OMG – Luke Harding Denied Entrance to Russia! (Who?) (windowstorussia.com)
• Russia Has Police… (windowstorussia.com)
• Russia Today and Peter Schiff… (windowstorussia.com)