Russia’s biggest electronics chain delays seller payments as it expands online
Customers pay M.Video, which passes the money to independent sellers. Some waited months to receive it.
M.Video, Russia's top electronics retailer, is postponing payments to independent sellers as it ramps up its online presence. These sellers, who use M.Video's website as their storefront, have been waiting months to receive payments for goods already sold. The report by Vedomosti reveals that one seller only received payment after filing a formal demand, a step typically taken before litigation.
Under M.Video's seller contract, customers purchase from the independent business while M.Video collects the payment as the seller's agent. However, until the proceeds are transferred, the seller has already delivered the product but not received the money from the sale. Some sellers are resorting to legal action, with one sending a formal demand on August 13, which was paid out on August 18.
Another seller reported no response from M.Video's designated manager and continued shipping orders until mid-July, expecting payment for its May sales.
M.Video attributes the delays to the rapid growth of its online platform, which requires additional checks before fund releases. The company stated that transfers are usually regular. Independent sellers contribute significantly to M.Video's business, accounting for one in every ten orders in 2025, with their turnover quadrupling year-on-year.
This shift is a response to M.Video's declining store-based business, which incurred losses of about 64 billion rubles (around $770 million) or nearly one-fifth of its annual revenue. The retailer closed hundreds of underperforming stores and opened only 11.
Written by urgent.news from Euromaidan Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
