- A British department store said it would stop sales of luxury items to Russian residents.
- Harrods said it identified buyers who might be affected by the UK government's ban on luxury exports.
- The UK government announced it would ban luxury goods exports to Russia in March.
British department store Harrods said it will stop selling pricey luxury goods to customers living in Russia.
It has contacted customers whose details suggest they may be affected by the UK government's ban on exporting luxury goods to Russia and therefore would not be able to shop at the upmarket store.
In a statement sent to Insider, the store said it introduced the restrictions in order to comply with UK sanctions imposed on Russia.
"The UK authorities have introduced further regulations as part of their ongoing sanctions against Russia, which specifically target the sale of certain categories of luxury goods," the statement said.
"This impacts a wide range of retailers and brands, and relates to goods worth over a certain value (generally £300), restricting any customers who are currently or ordinarily resident in Russia," Harrods added.
The UK government introduced a package of sanctions against Russia in March banning the export of "high-end luxury goods" to Russia.
The ban would affect exports of luxury cars, fashion and artwork, according to the UK government.
"In order to ensure we are complying with these restrictions, we reviewed our database to identify potentially impacted customers, and asked them to notify Harrods if the information we hold is not accurate and current," the statement said.
"This was not based on nationality, but address/contact details or previous transaction delivery data," the statement added.
Dan Webster, group general counsel at Harrods, added: "To confirm, the recent steps taken by Harrods are to comply with the law and this applies to all retailers of luxury goods in the UK."
The department store did not confirm which luxury items were subject to the export ban when asked by Insider.
The new restrictions come months after Harrods was criticized by lawmakers in the House of Commons for selling an expensive brand of Russian vodka "literally underneath the counter."
Harrods is one of UK's most famous luxury department stores, stocking more than 5,000 brands, according to its website.
