What Elema does

Elema (OAO «ЭЛЕМА») is a Belarusian apparel manufacturer and retailer founded in 1930, headquartered at ul. Trostenetskaya 5a in Minsk. The company operates as an Open Joint Stock Company with active shareholder governance, published annual reports, and a bond program. Its core business is women's clothing, organized into five sub-brands — Premium (limited-edition high-end), Classic (mid-price core line with sizes up to 60), YourLine (youth, ages 25-30), Sport Chic (athletic-inspired), and Event (formal occasion wear) — plus supporting men's wear (Etelier), children's clothing, accessories, perfumery, home goods, and a pet-clothing line.

Production is vertically integrated using CAD/CAM systems (GERBER, LECTRA) for automated cutting, multi-vendor sewing equipment (DURKOPP, Juki, Pegasus, Strobel), and three-stage quality control, with annual output of 400,000-450,000 garments at a daily capacity of 1,000-1,200 units. Fabrics are sourced from Italy, Turkey, Korea, Germany, and China, including premium materials with alpaca, cashmere, and angora content. Elema also operates contract manufacturing for international brands including Marks & Spencer, Gerry Weber, House of Fraser, Lener Cordier, Planet, J. Lewis, Windsmoor, Precis, Viyella, and Eastex.

Revenue is generated across four channels: direct retail through a branded network of more than 50 stores across Belarus and Russia plus the elema.by e-commerce platform; wholesale B2B distribution to entrepreneurs and legal entities in Belarus, Russia, and CIS/Baltic markets (with 4-15% prepayment discounts and 90-day deferred terms in USD/EUR/RUB); franchise licensing with entry investments starting from 80,000 RUB; and OEM contract manufacturing. Compliance is certified under STB ISO 9001-2009, ISO 14001, SEDEX, BSCI, M.SPENSER, and EAC (TR TS 017/2011). No revenue figure is disclosed; the company holds issued bonds and reduced preferred share capital in March 2024, suggesting active capital restructuring.

Name

Elema

Legal name

Открытое акционерное общество «ЭЛЕМА» (ОАО «Элема»)

Website

https://elema.by

Company type

Public

Founded year

1930

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Elema is a Belarusian vertically integrated apparel manufacturer and retailer, founded in 1930, producing women's clothing under five sub-brands (Premium, Classic, YourLine, Sport Chic, Event). It operates 50+ retail stores across Belarus and Russia, an e-commerce platform, wholesale B2B distribution, franchising, and OEM manufacturing for international brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women's Apparel Manufacturing

NAICS

Apparel Manufacturing (315), Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (458110), Clothing and Clothing Accessories Merchant Wholesalers (424350), Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing (31599)

SIC

Women's, Misses', And Juniors Outerwear (2330), Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600), Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130)

akta.pro primary industry

Dresses, Skirts & Tailored Apparel Cut & Sew (Suits/Formalwear) (IMAOAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fashion Apparel Wholesale (Men’s, Women’s, Kids) (CRAOADAA), Tops & Shirts Cut & Sew (T-Shirts/Shirts/Blouses) (IMAOAEAE), Fashion Accessories Manufacturing (Hair Accessories/Headbands/Clips) (IMAOAFAF)

Keywords

• Women's clothing manufacturing
• Outerwear production
• Contract apparel manufacturing
• Fashion retail Belarus
• Wholesale clothing distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Minsk

HQ country

Belarus

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Direct Retail Sales: Elema generates primary revenue through its owned retail store network across Belarus and Russia, selling branded clothing and accessories directly to consumers through physical stores and the elema.by e-commerce platform.
2. Wholesale B2B Sales: Revenue from selling clothing to wholesale B2B clients, individual entrepreneurs, and legal entities in Belarus, CIS countries, and Russia. Flexible pricing with 4-15% prepayment discounts. Payment can be made in USD, EUR, and Russian rubles.
3. Contract Manufacturing (OEM): Revenue from producing clothing for international brands under their brands (Marks & Spencer, House of Fraser, Gerry Weber, etc.) using own production capacity of 1000-1200 units per day. Handles large orders from 1000 units.
4. Franchise Fees and Royalty Revenue: Revenue from franchise partners who operate Elema-branded retail stores under licensing agreements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Elema is a Belarus-based clothing manufacturer that designs, produces, and sells women's apparel (with men's Etelier line, children's, accessories, perfumery, home goods, and pet clothing) through its own retail network of 50+ stores across Belarus and Russia, the elema.by e-commerce platform, wholesale distribution to B2B buyers, franchise licensing, and OEM contract manufacturing for international brands such as Marks & Spencer and Gerry Weber. Production capacity stands at 1,000-1,200 units per day, yielding 400,000-450,000 garments annually.

Product overview

Elema (ОАО «Элема») is a Belarusian women's clothing manufacturer with over 90 years of history, operating as both a retail brand and B2B supplier. The company produces a comprehensive women's clothing portfolio organized into five sub-brands: Premium (limited edition, high-end), Classic (medium price, comfort-focused), YourLine (trendy, youth-oriented), Sport Chic (athletic-inspired), and Event (special occasion formal wear). Supporting product lines include men's clothing under the Etelier brand, children's apparel with school uniforms, accessories, perfumery, home goods, and pet clothing. The company operates its own retail network of over 50 stores across Belarus and Russia, an e-commerce platform (elema.by), and offers B2B custom manufacturing services with 1000-1200 unit daily capacity. Additional services include clothing repair, fabric remnant sales, and gift certificates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Elema Premium: Limited collection of models with exclusive design and limited release in the medium-high price segment for confident and refined women. Uses premium materials including alpaca, cashmere, and angora.
• Elema Classic
• Elema YourLine
• Elema Sport Chic
• Event

Products and services

• Women's Clothing Primary product line featuring women's garments including dresses, suits, blouses, trousers, skirts, jackets, coats, and seasonal outerwear across Spring-Summer and Autumn-Winter collections.
• Men's Clothing (Etelier) Men's clothing line branded as Etelier, featuring stylish and elegant apparel for various occasions including coats, jackets, trousers, shirts, sweaters, and accessories.
• Children's Clothing Children's apparel including school uniforms, clothing for boys and girls, and newborn garments. School uniform collection available for back-to-school seasons.
• Accessories Fashion accessories collection featuring stylish items that complement clothing including hats, scarves, bags, and other accessories.
• Perfumery Fragrance collection for women, with aromas designed to complement the Elema fashion brand.
• Home Goods Home goods and household items including bathroom, kitchen, bedroom products, and clothing care accessories.
• Dog Clothing Pet clothing line for dogs, expanding the brand into the companion animal market.
• OEM Contract Manufacturing Services B2B clothing manufacturing services with production capacity of 1,000-1,200 units per day. Includes design development, pattern making, cutting, and production. Materials sourced from Italy, Turkey, Korea, Germany, and China. Minimum order 1,000 units.
• Wholesale B2B Distribution Wholesale distribution to individual entrepreneurs and legal entities across Belarus, Russia, and CIS/Baltic countries. Flexible payment terms with 4-15% prepayment discounts in USD, EUR, and Russian rubles, with payment terms up to 90 days deferred.
• Franchise Store Program Franchise model for independent entrepreneurs to open Elema-branded retail stores. Recommended store area 70-120 sq.m.; recommended initial product order 60,000 RUB/sq.m.; franchise in Russia starting from 80,000 RUB initial investment.
• E-commerce Platform (elema.by) Direct-to-consumer online store with delivery across Belarus (Belpochta courier, courier in Minsk), international shipping via EMS, and CDEK delivery in Russia. Offers fitting service for Minsk deliveries.
• Clothing Repair Services Tailoring and clothing repair services for both Elema products and other brands. Services include shortening, narrowing, relining, and alterations. Free shortening coupon offered with purchase for hem and cuff adjustments.
• Gift Certificates Gift certificate program available in fixed denominations of 50, 100, 200, and 250 BYN. Valid for 3 months from purchase date. Available in all Elema retail stores in Belarus.
• Fabric Remnants Sales Sale of measured fabric remnants and roll fabrics at wholesale. Includes suit fabrics (wool, blended, cotton, viscose), coat fabrics (virgin wool, alpaca, cashmere), dress fabrics, artificial fur, lining fabric, and quilted materials. Prices range from 7 to 50 BYN.

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual production of 400,000-450,000 garments
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Marks & SpencercoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLong-standing contract manufacturing partnership where Elema produces clothing under the Marks & Spencer brand using its own production facilities. Elema acts as an OEM manufacturer, applying its quality management systems and production capabilities to fulfill Marks & Spencer's design and quality specifications.
• Gerry WebercoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerContract manufacturing partnership for women's fashion clothing produced under the Gerry Weber brand name at Elema's production facilities.
• House of FrasercoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerContract manufacturing partnership producing clothing for the British department store brand.
• Lener CordierminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerContract manufacturing partnership for fashion apparel.
• PlanetminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerContract manufacturing partnership.
• J. LewisminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerContract manufacturing partnership.
• WindsmoorminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerContract manufacturing partnership for fashion apparel.
• PrecisminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerContract manufacturing partnership.
• ViyellaminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerContract manufacturing partnership for apparel.
• EastexminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerContract manufacturing partnership.
• Dellovye LiniiminorOthersTransportation and logistics company used by Elema for freight delivery from Moscow hub to final destinations across Russia.
• Zheldor ekspeditsiya (OOO 'Zheldorekspeditsiya')minorOthersRailway freight forwarding company cooperating with Elema for cargo delivery from Moscow across Russia.
• PEK (Perevozhnaya Kompaniya)minorOthersFreight forwarding company used by Elema for delivery services across Russia.
• BelAVIA AirlinesminorOthersBelarusian airline used by Elema for air freight delivery when direct flights are available.
• bePaidcoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment processing integration through bePaid system for accepting online payments via VISA, MasterCard, and BELCARD on elema.by. The system supports secure TLS protocol transactions with Visa Secure and MasterCard ID Check authentication. Also supports Samsung Pay and Yandex Pay.
• SDEK (CDEK)minorOthersCourier delivery service used for shipping Elema products across Russia. Accepts only fully prepaid orders. Delivery time calculated based on region and distance.
• Belpochta (RUPP Belaruspochta)coreOthersNational postal service of Belarus used by Elema for shipping orders across Belarus and for international EMS deliveries. Orders shipped on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mark Formelle: Major Belarusian apparel manufacturer and retailer producing women's, men's, and children's clothing with a strong domestic retail network. Directly comparable to Elema as a fellow Belarusian vertically integrated clothing brand competing in the same mid-market segment.
• Gloria Jeans: One of Russia's largest casual apparel manufacturers and retailers with extensive own retail chain. Comparable to Elema in scale of retail network, vertical integration, and CIS market focus, though broader in category scope.
• Snow Queen (Снежная Королева): Russian specialty retailer of women's outerwear, fur coats, and seasonal apparel with a multi-city retail footprint. Closest direct competitor to Elema in women's outerwear retail across Russia/CIS, with overlapping customer demographics.
• Conte: Belarusian-based apparel and hosiery manufacturer with own retail stores across CIS. Comparable as a fellow Belarusian OAO producing clothing and operating branded retail, though more focused on hosiery/underwear segments.

Broad incumbents

• O'Stin: Large Russian apparel chain offering women's, men's, and children's casual clothing at mid-market price points. Operates a broader category portfolio than Elema but shares the same CIS retail format and customer base.
• Wildberries: Russia's largest online fashion marketplace and a key distribution channel for CIS apparel brands including Elema's wholesale customers. Comparable as a dominant CIS apparel ecosystem player, though operating as a platform rather than manufacturer.
• Befree: Russian youth-oriented fashion brand with extensive retail network across Russia and CIS. Comparable as a CIS women's apparel retail brand, though more trend-led and youth-focused than Elema's broader demographic positioning.
• LPP (Reserved, Sinsay, House): Polish apparel group operating fast-fashion brands with significant CIS retail presence prior to 2022. Comparable as a European-headquartered multi-brand apparel retailer whose CIS market dynamics directly affect Elema's competitive landscape.
• Inditex (Zara, Bershka): Global fast-fashion incumbent whose Russian market exit in 2022 has reshaped the CIS apparel competitive landscape. Comparable as a major foreign apparel competitor whose presence or absence directly impacts pricing and demand dynamics in Elema's core markets.

Regional players

• Sviteks: Belarusian textile and apparel manufacturer with similar heritage and CIS focus. Comparable as a domestic textile/apparel producer operating in the same Belarusian manufacturing ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/elema_by

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Elema