Parent company of Vancouver clothing brand Arc'teryx halts sales, shipments to Russia

Arc'teryx parent company Amer Sports is suspending all commercial activities in Russia, including store and e-commerce sales and shipments to wholesale partners within the country.

The company had previously paused shipments to Russia on Feb. 26, two days after the country's military invaded Ukraine.

Amer Sports says it remains closely connected to colleagues in Russia and extends its support to its local team.

The company says it is making a donation to UNICEF to support the many people and families affected by the war.

Arc'teryx spokesperson Lindsey Matese Kepley says the Vancouver-based outdoor clothing and climbing gear brand does not have stores in Russia. But she says Amer Sports had previously made Arc'teryx's products available in Russia through a shared sales office.

Luxury brands exit

Several European luxury brands have also halted their business dealings in Russia.

Chanel said on Friday it would suspend business,along with rival French fashion houseHerms.

The French-based multinational company Kering, which owns such high-end brands as Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Alexander McQueen and Saint Laurent, has also stopped selling in Russia as has LVMH, the company behind Louis Vuitton,Christian Dior, Givenchyand Fendi.

A growing number of multinational businesses have cut off Russia from vital financial services and technology products in response to Western economic sanctions and global outrage over the invasion of Ukraine.

Netflix and TikTok suspended most of their services in Russia on Sunday as the government crackeddown on what people and media outlets can say about Russia's war in Ukraine.

American Express also announced earlier in the day it would suspend operations in Russia, as well as in Russian-allied Belarus.Globally issued American Express cards will no longer work at merchants or ATMs in Russia, the company said in a statement. AmEx cards issued locally in Russia by the country's banks will also no longer work outside of Russia.