Children’s clothing stores are rapidly disappearing across Russia as a deepening demographic crisis reshapes the country’s retail landscape, with falling birth rates sharply reducing demand.

Around 8,100 children’s clothing stores were operating in Russia’s major cities in January 2026-down 16% from a year earlier and nearly 25% lower than in 2021. The decline highlights a structural shift in consumer demand tied directly to shrinking family sizes, The Caspian Post reports via Russian media.

The trend is especially visible in Moscow, where approximately 16% of children’s clothing stores closed over the past year alone. Over five years, nearly one in five such shops has disappeared, leaving about 2,000 outlets still in operation in the capital.

The broader apparel sector is also under pressure. The total number of clothing stores nationwide fell 11.5% year-on-year to 34,900, reflecting wider challenges in Russia’s retail economy. Several children’s brands, including Loloclo and Orby, shut down in 2025, while retailer Pelican exited the market entirely. Sales of children’s products dropped by 8% last year, with clothing and footwear segments declining at even faster double-digit rates.

Experts say the root cause lies in Russia’s worsening demographic outlook. Official data shows that only 1.22 million children were born in 2024-the lowest level since 1999. Demographers warn the situation has continued to deteriorate, with early 2025 potentially marking the weakest birth rate in more than 200 years of recorded history.

Russia’s total fertility rate has fallen for ten consecutive years, reaching 1.374 by December 2025-its lowest level since 2006. Even births of third and subsequent children, once supported by government incentives, have declined below pre-2022 levels.