Russian shopping centres 'lose up to 30% of footfall' after exit of Western brands

Emin Agalarov, a pop star and first vice president at the Crocus Group, said: "If you don't have them, then the venue becomes depersonalised."

A handful of former McDonald's restaurants reopened on Sunday under a new brand in one of the most high-profile examples of a Western brand exiting. Photo: AP/Dmitry Serebryakov

Russian shopping centres are "de-energised" and have lost up to 30% of their footfall following the exodus of Western brands, the son of one of Russia's most prominent property developers was quoted as saying on Monday.

Emin Agalarov, a pop star and first vice president at the Crocus Group founded by his billionaire father Aras Agalarov, was quoted by the RBC media outlet as saying the loss of key tenants could spell the end for shopping malls altogether.