Conclusion

Abstract

In Russia today it is not uncommon to walk into a store and see a pamphlet or flyer about consumers’ rights protection laws posted on the wall, often behind a glass or plastic enclosed case. Many retail businesses also have a “complaint book” or a “book of suggestions and complaints,” which give customers an opportunity to express their opinions. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the postcommunist Russian government passed many new laws regarding consumers’ rights, starting with a Russian Federation Consumer Protection Act in 1992. More recently, various businesses have organized “mystery shoppers” in major Russian cities, in which consumer advocates pose as regular customers to investigate and report on sales practices, particularly customer service. It would be easy to assume that all this attention to consumers and the consumer experience is new, a product of Russia’s move to a capitalist system and market economy in which consumers have legitimacy and “rights.” This assumption also appears logical because under the Soviet socialist economy consumers did not have it easy. During bad economic periods, shortages were common and Soviet consumers waited in line for hours to purchase basic foodstuffs and other necessities from often rude salesclerks. Moreover, Soviet policies contributed directly to the starvation of millions during three major famines in 1921–1922, 1932–1933, and 1946–1947.