Russian businesswoman Victoria Moldavskaya has announced the closure of her jewelry brand Viva La Vika following a severe financial crisis and backlash over customer insults.
Moldavskaya confirmed the decision in a statement published on the official Instagram account of the brand. She revealed that the enterprise had been navigating a severe crisis for the past 15 months, making it impossible to continue funding operations with her own resources after failing to attract outside investors.
According to the entrepreneur, the jewelry brand will operate for only one final month. During this period, she intends to sell the business and permanently close all of its physical retail stores.
Scandal Over Customer Insults
The closure decision follows a wave of public criticism that erupted in July over behavior by Moldavskaya toward a customer on social media. The conflict began when a buyer sent a private message to the businesswoman to complain about the quality of a gift item and express dissatisfaction with the customer support service of the brand.
Rather than addressing the issue directly, Moldavskaya sent the customer back to Viva La Vika support and stated that she would not tolerate a rude tone in communication or consumer terrorism. She later took to her personal social media channels, calling the customer a boor and a lout.
Retail Closures and Next Steps
Before closing retail stores and completing the sale of the business, Viva La Vika will run a large-scale clearance sale throughout its remaining month of operation.
Viva La Vika is a Russian jewelry and fashion accessories brand known for selling colorful lifestyle products through retail outlets and online storefronts. The brand published its announcement on Instagram, a social networking platform owned by Meta Platforms, which is designated as an extremist organization and banned in Russia.
Despite ending operations at Viva La Vika, Moldavskaya noted that she may potentially launch a new company after the final sale is completed.
