Ukrainian brand development potential in retail very high
The development potential of domestic brands is very high, and further expansion should be expected, Kostiantyn Oliynyk, head of the strategic consulting department at UTG, said Wednesday at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine agency in Kyiv.
"Against the backdrop of rapidly growing loyalty to Ukrainian fashion, domestic brands have begun aggressive development, are gaining momentum and moving from online format to physical retail: rikky hype, Katy Soho, Cher 17, Solmar, PetHouse, Gorgany and others. This potential is very large and we can expect that they will continue their expansion," he said.
As for new foreign brands, most negotiations have been on pause since the start of the war, but some have not ruled out decisions to enter the Ukrainian market. To compare the activity of foreign and domestic brands: in 2022, stores of American brands DKNY and KitchenAid, Polish DISCOUNTERRA and Italian EA7 opened here, as well as 11 domestic brands (JT fashion club, Oselya, Eternal, Moon Lingerie, iam, Motrych, LesiPak, Taiyo, Lucasheva, Zalizna Kramnytsya and Braided.fashion). In 2023 there was only one new foreign brand Half Price (Poland) and six domestic ones – Klimenchukua, Grape Design, YaVereta, Liniya, Notica and RDNT (Andre Tan), in 2024 – UGG (United States). In 2025, Polish World box, Czech Captain Candy, Italian Karl Lagerfeld Jeans and Turkish Mavi, and domestic Katy Soho and rikkyhype have opened, Oliynyk said.
"After the end of the war, negotiation processes are expected to resume with Starbucks, Uniqlo, Pepco, Peek&Cloppenburg, Kiabi, Abercrombie&Fitch, Hollister, Profuomo, Daily Paper, Suitsupply, MasonGarments. And, considering the increased loyalty to our market, there is a real chance of entry by new brands that previously ignored the country," he said.
UTG was created in 2001. The company has developed more than 1,300 real estate facility concepts. During its years of operation, the company has leased 4.7 million square meters of commercial space in Ukraine.
