Belarusian Swed House is trying to replace Ikea's stores in Russia. On Saturday, the company opened its first store in Moscow, with goods that appear to come from the Swedish furniture giant.
"We are not Ikea, we strive to be like Ikea. We have our own brands, our own goods," Swed House Director General Mamedali Kasymov told Reuters.
He claims that the company also sells original items, which they have acquired from the Swedish furniture giant.
"No one forbade us to do this," Kasymov said.
Large market
Ikea closed its furniture stores in Russia in March last year. In mid-June of the same year, the furniture giant decided to sell its factories and reduce its inventories in the country, and in July the company announced that the products it had left in stock would be sold online in Russia.
The Belarusian replica plans to open five stores in Moscow, before expanding to other Russian regions next year.
It is unclear how the company has obtained the alleged Ikea products.
Russia was one of Ikea's largest markets.