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Russians resume shopping in Finland

Xinhua, March 25, 2015 Adjust font size:

Travel shopping by Russians has picked up in Finland following an improvement in the purchase price of euros and increased inflation in Russia, reports said on Tuesday.

Shopping by Russians on the Finnish side of the border has been important for local retail since the 1990s and a sudden decline late last year caused problems for the sector.

A hyper market right at the border in Nuijamaa claimed record sales in the past weekend.

Last December, one euro was worth a hundred rubles in St. Petersburg. In mid-March, the rate was 64 rubles, although still high in comparison to last summer.

The CEO of the Finnish Southern Carelia Chambre of Commerce, Mika Peltonen, told Yle that the purchase of specialty goods from Finland would resume.

Russia's current restrictions on imports from the EU have also improved competitiveness in Finland. "EU goods are not available in Russia but can be purchased in Finland," Peltonen said.

In the past weekend, 17,000 passengers crossed the border into Finland at Nuijamaa. The number was larger than during the New Year season, according the local media reports. Endit