BuyBrand 2026 in Moscow draws 4,570 participants

The international franchise exhibition BuyBrand 2026 has concluded in Moscow. Over three days, it brought together 4,570 entrepreneurs, investors and senior executives, more than 90 speakers and over 100 exhibiting companies. According to an event summary published on Retail.ru on 9 October, visitors could explore franchise opportunities from Russia, Saudi Arabia, China and Belarus. Sber was an exhibition partner.

Opportunities at different investment levels

The exhibition featured franchises with advertised investment requirements ranging from RUB 600,000 to more than RUB 300 million. Stands were labelled by investment level to help visitors navigate the exhibition. This allowed them to browse not only by business sector or familiar brand name, but also by the stated financial entry point.

The wide investment range was one of the exhibition’s notable features. Opportunities with substantially different capital requirements were presented in the same venue. For prospective franchisees, this is a reason to establish an available budget before discussing a particular business model in detail with a network representative.

However, the advertised investment figure should not automatically be treated as the full start-up budget. During negotiations, it is important to establish which costs are included in the estimate and which the entrepreneur will need to fund separately. This is a practical question to ask about any opportunity at an exhibition, rather than a finding about the costs disclosed by individual BuyBrand exhibitors.

For the franchising community, this type of event offers a useful opportunity to discuss several potential partnerships in succession. However, neither the number of companies represented nor the breadth of the investment range says anything in itself about a future outlet’s profitability or a franchise’s suitability for a particular location.

Who exhibited

The exhibition covered food service, services and retail. Food service exhibitors included Mybox, Koala, Danjiro, Mama Roma, Pizza Heart, Secret Kitchen, Varochnaya, Zotman Pizza, Subjoy, Rybnaya Manufaktura and the Zdraste coffee shop chain. Visitors could therefore explore a variety of restaurant and coffee shop concepts rather than a single segment.

Service-sector exhibitors included Fit Service, Akvarel, Avtopilot, 150bar, Bibibike, Bambika-Club, Robbo, Coliseum and PlushPals. Retail franchises were represented by modi, Aykraft, Pyaterochka, One Price and Diksi. This mix gave entrepreneurs the opportunity to compare options beyond a single familiar business category.

For visitors still choosing a sector, having these businesses together is particularly useful during initial research. Speaking to several networks helps prospective franchisees formulate questions about their own involvement in running an outlet, premises requirements and day-to-day operations. Those questions need to be answered in relation to each specific opportunity: a general list of exhibitors is no substitute for partnership terms.

The international section included four food service franchises from Saudi Arabia: Berovan, Burgerizzr, Hashi Basha and Namq. Their participation should be distinguished from the actual opening of outlets in Russia. Presenting a concept at an exhibition is an event in its own right; it does not mean that a Russian outlet has begun trading or that an agreement with a local partner has been signed.

Conference programme covers contracts and tax risks

Alongside opportunities to meet brands, the programme included discussions of tax risks, commercial concession agreements — the legal framework commonly used for franchising in Russia — franchise selection criteria and network management. Company founders shared their experience of operating in uncertain conditions. More than 90 speakers took part in the event overall.

These topics relate directly to the substance of a future partnership. For an entrepreneur, a brand presentation is only the start of the conversation. The next stage requires an understanding of each party’s obligations, how payments are structured and which management responsibilities remain with the outlet owner. The legal and operational aspects of an opportunity should therefore be considered alongside its financial terms.

The discussion of tax risks at the exhibition does not indicate that new rules have been introduced or legislation has changed. It was a topic in the conference programme, alongside contractual relationships and management. For prospective franchisees, its practical value lies in prompting them to raise the relevant questions during negotiations and document checks.

BuyBrand also announced the results of an annual franchise ranking and presented awards to the winners. This gave visitors another reference point when exploring companies. However, recognition in a ranking should be kept separate from the assessment of a specific project: an investment decision requires calculations for the chosen format and location.

Next event planned for September 2027

The next BuyBrand exhibition is planned for mid-September 2027. This year’s results demonstrate its scale as a meeting place for the franchising community: three days, thousands of participants, international exhibitors and a conference programme addressing not only brand selection but also the subsequent running of franchise partnerships.

The practical next step for visitors is to turn exhibition contacts into a detailed comparison. They should ask shortlisted networks for a breakdown of initial investment costs, recurring payment terms, a draft agreement and a description of the support provided. Comparing these documents will help distinguish first impressions from the terms under which they will actually launch and run the business.