Postcards (Russian market)

2022: Postcard sales in Russia decreased by 4.6% to 133 million units

In 2022, 133 million postcards were sold in Russia, which is 4.6% less than a year earlier. The volume of this market has been falling since 2020, according to data from BusinesStat analysts, which were released in May 2023.

According to experts, in 2022, the tradition of communication and congratulations with the help of printed cards was not fully formed in Russia. The postcard has mostly lost its communication function, serves more as an addition to the gift, a souvenir. Among the factors that reduce sales, the development of information technologies, congratulations and communication through electronic, mobile messages, and social networks also play a significant role. This reduces the need to send postcards as a means of interaction and communication, as well as personal communication for congratulations. An additional factor in the decline in sales in 2020 was the reduction in the number of personal meetings due to quarantine restrictions during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. In addition, the postcard is not a staple. In a crisis and declining incomes, consumers may refuse non-mandatory expenses, the study says.

Postcard sales in Russia continue to decline

BusinesStat notes that domestic postcards prevail on the Russian market: only about 10% of greeting cards in 2022 were imported, mainly from Belarus and China. Manufacturers are trying to maximize and diversify the range to maintain demand, the researchers add.

In 2022, postcards worth $1.02 million were exported from Russia, which is 23.1% more than in 2018. In 2020, due to a decrease in the average supply price (-54.5%), export turnover decreased by 19.7%. In 2022, the average cost of a postcard for export was $0.04.^[1]

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