--- title: "Vivat Closes Bookstores Due to Prolonged Air Raid Alerts: Chain Does Not Rule Out Further Closures in 2027" description: "Publishing house Vivat is closing some bookstores due to prolonged air raid alerts that reduce operating hours and revenue. The chain does not rule out further closures in 2027." date: 2026-11-06T13:12:41.123Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/vivat-closes-bookstores-due-to-air-alerts tags: [vivat, bookstores, air-alarms, retail, ukraine] author: "Andrey Kosynko" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Vivat Closes Bookstores Due to Prolonged Air Raid Alerts: Chain Does Not Rule Out Further Closures in 2027 ![Signage of a Vivat bookstore on a building facade with wooden panoramic windows.](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/06/vivat-zakryvaet-knizhnye-magaziny-iz-za-trevog/vivat-zakryvaet-knizhnye-magaziny-iz-za-trevog-1.webp) ## Key Points - Vivat has ceased operations at some bookstores due to prolonged air raid alerts; the first to close was the shop in Kyiv's Magellan shopping center. - In Kyiv, stores lost up to 14 hours of operation per week, while in Dnipro and Kharkiv they lost up to 35 hours per week due to alerts. - During downtime, the company continues to incur expenses for rent, heating, electricity, and staff. - Vivat is reviewing its strategy for 2027 and does not rule out further closures, while also merging and relocating branches. Ukrainian publishing house Vivat is changing the operational format of its retail network: some bookstores have already ceased operations, and the company is not ruling out further closures next year. This was announced in a statement to the media by Yulia Orlova, CEO and co-owner of Vivat, as cited by RBC-Ukraine, Dilo, Forbes, and Channel 24. According to her, the reason is prolonged air raid alerts that reduce the actual working hours of the stores and, consequently, their revenue, while fixed business expenses remain in place. ### First Closure: Magellan Mall in Kyiv One of the locations that has already ceased operations is the Vivat bookstore in Kyiv's Magellan shopping center. According to Orlova, the decision to close was made even though the shopping center administration had agreed to offer the company a rent discount. The CEO explained that with no customers and no revenue, rental concessions do not compensate for losses: "No rent discounts help when there are no people and no revenue." ### Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv: From 14 to 35 Hours of Downtime Per Week According to the company, in the past week alone, Kyiv bookstores lost up to two hours of operation daily due to air raid alerts, totaling about 14 hours of downtime per week. The situation in Dnipro and Kharkiv is even more difficult, according to Orlova: there, stores lose about five hours daily due to alerts, which translates to about 35 hours of downtime per week for each location. Similar problems, she noted, arise in other cities as well. ### Fixed Expenses With Zero Revenue The key problem pointed out by Vivat's management is that even during forced suspensions of operations, stores continue to incur financial burdens. The company is obliged to pay rent, heating, electricity, and staff salaries. Thus, during periods of downtime, the business generates expenses without corresponding revenue, making the continued operation of certain locations economically unviable. ### New Formats and Strategy Review for 2027 In response to changing conditions, Vivat is revising its network management approaches: relocating certain branches, merging locations, reviewing costs, and searching for operational formats that will allow it to function in the new reality. Separately, the company is already reviewing its bookstore strategy for 2027. Yulia Orlova explicitly stated that Vivat anticipates the possibility of further closures over the next year and emphasized that she does not want to hide behind the word "relocation," but rather call things by their proper names — it is a forced closure of a portion of the stores. ### Broader Context: The Toll of Alerts on Retail Vivat's case fits into a broader trend recorded by Ukrainian media: due to prolonged air raid alerts, not only bookstores but also restaurants, cafes, and other retail establishments are shutting down or reducing their hours. For book retail, where revenue depends on customer traffic, losing even a few hours of operation a day while maintaining fixed costs becomes critical, forcing chains to change their operational model or close their least resilient locations. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Vivat закрывает книжные магазины из-за воздушных тревог: какие магазины уже не работают](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/vivat-zakrivae-knigarni-cherez-povitryani-1793970169.html) - Primary source: statement by Yulia Orlova, closure of the store in Magellan shopping center, 14 hours/week in Kyiv, 35 hours/week in Dnipro and Kharkiv, strategy review for 2027. - [Vivat закроет некоторые книжные магазины в 2027 году: почему и сколько магазинов может исчезнуть](https://24tv.ua/business/ru/vivat-budet-zakryvat-svoi-knizhnye-magaziny-iz-za-vozdushnyh-trevog-kakoj-prognoz-na-2027-god_n3175266) - Confirms the closure of some stores, Orlova's quote about 'relocation', and the closure of the Magellan location. - [Воздушные тревоги бьют по книжному ритейлу: Vivat закрывает книжные магазины](https://delo.ua/ru/news/vozdusnye-trevogi-byut-po-kniznomu-riteilu-vivat-zakryvaet-kniznye-magaziny-475880/) - Matches on downtime figures (14 and 35 hours/week), expenses for rent/heating/electricity/personnel, and network adaptation measures. - [Vivat закрывает часть книжных магазинов из-за длительных воздушных тревог](https://forbes.ua/ru/news/vivat-zakrivaje-castinu-knigaren-cerez-trivali-povitriani-trivogi-06112026-43565) - Confirms the closure of the Magellan store and the possibility of further closures in 2027 as stated by Orlova. ## FAQ ### Why is Vivat closing bookstores? According to CEO Yulia Orlova, the reason is prolonged air raid alerts that reduce operating hours and revenue, while expenses for rent, heating, electricity, and personnel remain. ### Which bookstore has already closed? The first closed location is the Vivat bookstore in Kyiv's Magellan shopping center; the closure occurred despite a rent discount offered by the mall administration. ### How much time do stores lose due to alerts? According to the company, in Kyiv it is up to two hours a day, or about 14 hours a week; in Dnipro and Kharkiv, it is about five hours a day, or roughly 35 hours a week. ### Will there be more closures in 2027? Yes, the company is reviewing its strategy for 2027 and, according to Orlova, admits the possibility of further closures, as well as relocating, merging branches, and seeking new operating formats.