The Russian e-commerce giant Wildberries has officially begun testing tour booking services through its network of physical order pickup points (PVZ). Announced during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF-2026) on June 4, 2026, this pilot project marks a significant expansion of the marketplace's travel division, WB Travel, into offline consumer interactions. The initiative aims to bridge the gap between digital retail and traditional travel consultancy by utilizing existing logistics infrastructure.
Professional Consultations at Marketplace Locations
Under the new pilot program, specialized tourist consultants from WB Travel will be stationed within the company's proprietary pickup points across Moscow. These professionals are tasked with assisting customers in selecting holiday packages, arranging transportation, and managing accommodation bookings directly at the counter. The integration of travel services into retail spaces suggests a strategy to capture a demographic that prefers face-to-face professional guidance over purely automated online systems.
"Tourist consultants from WB Travel will work in the marketplace's own order pickup points in Moscow", stated Taras Demura, head of WB Travel.
The service model involves the following key components:
- Expert assistance in navigating the WB Travel digital catalog.
- Personalized itinerary planning for domestic and international destinations.
- The convenience of combining daily e-commerce pickups with professional travel planning.
Future Expansion and Strategic Goals
While the current testing phase is localized to the capital, the company is evaluating the feasibility of a broader rollout. According to Taras Demura, the marketplace does not rule out the possibility of extending these services to other regions of Russia in the future. This expansion would depend on the performance of the Moscow pilot and the demand for offline travel advisory services within the marketplace's ecosystem. Industry analysts note that leveraging a vast network of pickup points could provide the marketplace with a competitive edge over traditional travel agencies lacking such extensive physical footprints.
The introduction of physical booking desks represents a significant step in the evolution of the Russian travel market, signaling a trend toward "phygital" services—the blending of physical and digital customer experiences. As the pilot progresses, the company will monitor consumer engagement levels to determine if the presence of travel experts at pickup points effectively converts traditional retail shoppers into travelers. Final decisions regarding the scaling of the project to regional centers are expected following the conclusion of the initial 2026 trial period.