Advertising activity plunges after attacks on Wildberries warehouses

Advertising activity on Russia’s major Wildberries marketplace has declined significantly following incidents involving drone attacks. Kommersant reports that this is seriously affecting product promotion and sales volumes. Ixbt.com reports .

According to Digital Budget, spending on direct banner promotion fell by as much as 63 percent in July this year compared with June. Experts attribute this to restricted access to the assortment on the marketplace.

Advertising budgets frozen

Leading advertising agencies report that many companies have completely frozen their marketing budgets or significantly reduced investments in promotion. The trend is particularly evident in FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods), pharmaceuticals, home appliances and electronics.

Demand for the internal click-in inventory used to promote products on the platform has also declined significantly. As a result, the cost per thousand impressions (CPM) has fallen by approximately 10–15 percent, depending on the category.

Marketplace and expert responses

Wildberries representatives acknowledge that the volume of advertising promotion has changed, but say the scale described in circulating reports is exaggerated. The company explained that sellers are currently reviewing their financial models and assessing the impact of the situation on their businesses.

To support sellers, the marketplace has already calculated two-stage promotional bonuses that can be used to promote products. Nevertheless, the advertising platform remains one of the largest channels on the market: retail media in Russia is expected to reach 580 billion rubles in 2025.