Retailers including S Group, Kesko, Eurocash and Maxima Group have announced they are halting purchases of Russian products, in response to the country's invasion of Ukraine.
In a statement on its website, Finland's S Group said that it was removing approximately 50 Russian SKUs from sale, including food products, sports equipment, textiles and other consumer goods.
“What is happening in Ukraine at the moment is shocking and completely reprehensible," commented Sampo Päällysaho, grocery trade director at S Group.
S Group's Prisma chain, which operates in Estonia, ceased the purchase of Russian items last Friday.
Kesko
Fellow Finnish retailer Kesko said that it has 'decided to stop purchasing Russian products and exporting food to Russia', in response to what it described as an 'appalling situation' in Ukraine.
Kesko withdrew its operations from Russia between 2016 and 2018, adding that since that period, its purchases from the country have been 'very small'.
Eurocash
Polish wholesaler Eurocash has also announced that it has suspended the purchase and sale of Russian and Belarusian products, with sales halting on 28 February.
In a statement, the group said that products from both countries have 'disappeared from the shelves of the cash and carry warehouse and from the offering of eurocash.pl and Eurocash Franczyza, the operator of the Delikatesy Centrum chain'.
Its Frisco, Duży Ben and Kontigo banners are also taking part in the boycott.
Maxima Latvija
Elsewhere, Maxima Latvija has suspended the purchase of products manufactured in Russia and Belarus, removing these products from its in-store range, in keeping with the common position held by other firms in the Maxima Groupe.
The group said that it did not expect the announcement to affect its assortment that much, noting that "the context of the COVID-19 pandemic has enabled us to make sure that, if necessary, Latvian manufacturers are able to provide a full range of goods and replace the range of imported goods."
It said that it will "continue to follow closely" developments with regard to the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
Denmark's Salling Group, which operates the Netto, Bilka and føtex banners, has also made the decision to remove all Russian-produced goods from its shelves.
This includes approximately 20 SKUs, ranging "from vodka to toothpaste to chocolate", chief executive Per Bank said on Twitter.
Read More: EuroCommerce: Retail And Wholesale Industry Will 'Do All It Can' To Assist Ukraine
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