FMCG market in Russia (consumer goods)

The main articles are:

• Russian economy
• Retail in Russia
• Household chemicals (Russian market)
• Online food sales in Russia

What is called everyday goods

The list of consumer goods (FMCG) includes:

• food,
• medicines (see Pharmaceutical market of Russia,
• household chemicals,
• personal care products and cosmetics,
• baby food,
• animal feed.

2024

14.1% growth in the consumer goods market

Research company Nielsen recorded an increase in sales of consumer goods in Russia by 14.1% in 2024. This was announced in early February 2025 by the company's analysts. Real demand provided 5.1% of the total growth, and the contribution of the inflationary component reached 9%.

In 2023, the total market growth was 9.1%, of which 5.5% was inflation, and 3.5% was an increase in real demand. Most product categories showed positive dynamics in both monetary and physical terms.

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Фото: Freepik

The highest growth rates were shown by the ready-made food segment, an increase of 29.6% in monetary terms and 23.8% in the number of packages sold. Cold drinks came in second place with increases of 23.9% and 11.6% respectively. The top three is closed by the category of fruits and vegetables, where the growth was 20.4% in money and 3.6% in physical terms.

In the ready-made food segment, hard discounters showed the greatest growth, increasing sales by 78.3%, and the online market with a growth rate of 49.7%. In offline trading, freshly baked bakery products with filling, salads and complex ready-made dishes became the main drivers.

In the soft drinks category, energy drinks led the growth, showing a 16.4% increase in sales in physical terms. Water sales rose 12.7%, with the flavour water segment showing a 54% increase.

Nielsen analysts note a significant development in online sales in the category of fruits and vegetables. For 12 months of 2024, the share of this channel increased by 1.2 percentage points and reached 6.1% of total sales in this category.

In online commerce, in addition to bakery products with filling and salads, sales of soups and broths showed a significant increase. The expansion of the assortment and the development of online sales channels contributed to an increase in the availability of consumer goods.^[1]

Online sales of consumer goods soared 44% over the year to reach ₽1,2 trillion

The analytical company Data Insight on January 31, 2025 reported an increase in the volume of online sales of consumer goods in Russia by 44% in 2024 - up to ₽1,2 trillion, while the number of orders increased by 33% to 788 million.

According to Vedomosti, the average purchase check for the year increased by 9% and amounted to ₽1510. In the fourth quarter of 2024, this figure reached ₽1555, equal to the same period in 2023.

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Фото: Freepik

According to the analytical company "Infoline Analytics," the market leader for the nine months of 2024 was the service Scooter"" with sales of ₽182,7 billion. The second place was taken by Cooper"" with an indicator of ₽153,6 billion, the third - X5 Group from ₽149,7 billion.

Konstantin Loktev, executive director of the Nielsen research company, noted that the online retail market for everyday goods showed an increase of 35%, with especially active development in regions where the increase was 40%.

Olga Pashkova, senior analyst at Data Insight, pointed to a gradual slowdown during the year. In the first quarter of 2024, the dynamics amounted to 40% in terms of the number of orders and 58% in monetary terms, while in the fourth quarter the indicators decreased to 28% and 27%, respectively.

Infoline Analyst CEO Mikhail Burmistrov confirmed the trend of slowing market growth: from 55% in the first quarter to less than 30% in the fourth quarter of 2024. One of the reasons was the increase in the key rate of the Central Bank of Russia from 16% to 21%.

According to a survey conducted by Nielsen among 100 leaders of FMCG companies in October 2024, 48% of respondents plan to develop their own online stores, a third intend to expand cooperation with delivery services, and 29% - to increase their presence on marketplaces.

Vkusville increased the share of online turnover in total revenue to 50% in 2024. By the end of the year, 45% of all orders of the company were delivered within an hour, and in Moscow inside the Moscow Ring Road, this figure reached 83%.^[2]

2023

The number of stores at the largest retail chains in Russia increased to 124 thousand.

At the end of 2023, the total number of retail facilities of the two hundred largest grocery chains in Russia reached 124.2 thousand. This is 12.78 thousand points more compared to 2022. That is, the annual increase was almost 12%, as stated in the INFOLine study, the results of which are presented at the end of March 2024.

The report said that the total trading area of ​ ​ the networks increased year-on-year by 2.68 million square meters, or 7.6%, reaching 37.86 million square meters. The share of the ten largest players in the growth of trading space increased by 4.4% - to 75.1% compared to 2022.

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Фото: INFOLine

INFOLine analysts name the decrease in retail space as one of the key market trends. In particular, the average footage of a grocery store decreased by 3.4% - to 304.26 square meters by the end of 2023. This is primarily due to a decrease in the number of large-format facilities commissioned. Thus, the share of hypermarkets in the structure of trading space on an annualized basis decreased from 15.5% to 14.3%, and the share of supermarkets - from 10.1% to 9%. The average area of ​ ​ retail facilities in the hypermarket format at the end of 2023 amounted to 5.25 thousand square meters, and the total number of such stores decreased by 10 - to 1031. In the supermarket format, the average footage was 940.4 square meters.

Another trend in the Russian market is the increase in the number of discounters, such as Chizhik and My Price. In addition, mini-shops near the house like "Vkusville" are gaining popularity. Such small street retail formats as Magnet Nearby, the Near franchise of the X5 Group, Red and White and Bristol of the Mercury Group are actively developing. It is said that in the discounter segment, the average footage of retail outlets at the end of 2023 was 404 square meters, and shops near the house had an average area of ​ ​ 99.7 square meters.^[3]

Dumplings sales have grown in Russia

In 2023, retail sales of dumplings in Russia in 2023 reached 476 thousand tons, which is 3.2% more than a year earlier. In comparison with 2019 (then 417 thousand tons of products were sold), the market volume increased by 14%, BusinesStat analysts calculated. Their data was published in May 2024. Read more here.

The leaders of the Russian market for the delivery of consumer goods are named

At the end of February 2024, the analytical company Infoline published a study on the Russian market for online delivery of consumer goods. The first place among such services was taken by Samokat, which at the end of 2023 recorded sales at 165.3 billion rubles (an increase of two times compared to 2022).

In the second position in the ranking of online sellers of consumer goods took Vkusville"" with an annual turnover of 140 billion rubles (+ 53% by 2022). On the third line X5 Group - with the delivery Fives of "," Intersection"" and the online store For the future"," sales growth - 78.8% to 133 billion rubles.

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Фото: Unsplash

According to Infoline managing partner Mikhail Burmistrov, the Russian e-Grocery market grew by + 47, despite large-scale challenges. In conditions of increased competition, those retailers that are able to guarantee the best customer experience, regardless of weather conditions or the load on the service on holidays, remain successful, the expert noted.

He explained the leadership of Samokat by a combination of effective assortment and logistics management technologies, as well as with strong marketing and a developed portfolio of his own brands, including in a number of categories of non-food products.

The Infoline study notes that most of the food was sold through the SberMarket delivery service, and Megamarket became the leader in the dynamics of online food sales among marketplaces.

Experts also pay attention to the growing turnover of marketplaces. Wildberries, which reached 4th place in 2023, increased food revenue by 73.3% to 99.3 billion rubles, and Ozon - 1.5 times, to 87 billion rubles. Ozon ranked sixth among everyday goods delivery services.^[4]

2022

Online sales of consumer goods increased by 43.5%

Online sales of consumer goods (FMCG) in Russia in 2022 increased by 43.5%, which is five times more than the average growth rate in the global market (8.3%). This is evidenced by the data that NielsenIQ analysts published in mid-March 2023. Read more here.

In Russia, food sales decreased by 5%

In Russia, food sales decreased - the turnover of trade in large chains in 2022 decreased by 5%. This is evidenced by the data of the Association of Retail Companies (AKORT), which were released on January 24, 2023.

According to Izvestia, the fall was due to the fact that citizens began to prefer the most necessary and cheap goods to expensive delicacies. However, the trend in online retail is different - there the turnover grew by 42%. But its indicators are still incomparable with stationary trade.

Russians began to buy fewer products

According to Igor Karavaev, Chairman of the AKORT Presidium, the most noticeable decline in the company was observed in the category of carbonated drinks, and the sale of drinking yogurts and curd desserts also decreased. The growth was observed in the category of "healthy lifestyle goods": fruits, vegetables, dietary cereals, as well as beer.

At the same time, the head of the Institute for the Development of Entrepreneurship and Economics (IRPE) Natalya Nazarova noted that although the turnover of food products has fallen, the situation in domestic trade cannot be called dramatic. She linked the drop in food sales to a decrease in the number of wealthy people - they went abroad. In addition, the development of trade was also affected by the fact that several grocery foreign brands left the domestic market at once - for example, in the drinks segment, she said.

Food products are among the top 5 most popular goods, which generally has a positive effect on the online segment, says Artem Sokolov, President of the Association of Internet Trade Companies (AKIT). So, in the all-Russian ranking in terms of popularity, they are in fourth position, and in Moscow and St. Petersburg - even in first. However, in 2022, the online food ordering service did not reach its peak of development, unlike, for example, classic retail, the expert added^[5]

2021: Lower share of imports in Russian grocery retail

The share of imports in Russian grocery retail over 10 years decreased by a third - to 24% in 2021 from 34% in 2012. Such data in early April 2022 were published in the audit and consulting network Finexpertiza.

In the total food turnover, the maximum share of imports is noted in the Smolensk and Magadan regions, St. Petersburg, Ryazan region, Moscow, Adygea, Krasnodar, Kamchatsky, Primorsky Territories and the Bryansk Region. Minimum imported products are sold by enterprises registered in Crimea, Mari El, Orenburg, Tyumen, Amur regions, Buryatia, Bashkortostan, Perm Territory, Novgorod and Belgorod regions, experts say.

Import dynamics in Russian grocery retail from 2005 to 2021

Among the main products, a high share of imports is observed in cheeses (32.5% in total commodity resources in physical terms at the end of 2021), animal oils (29.5%), vegetable oils (17%), beef and offal (27.6%). The share of imports in pork (about zero - 0.2%), flour (1.1%), cereals (1.1%), sausage products (1.3%), poultry meat (4.7%) and in general in meat products (5.6%), except beef, is insignificant.

In total Russian imports, food and agricultural raw materials for their production account for 11.5% in value terms. Food is the third most important import of Russia after machinery, equipment, transport and products of the chemical industry.

Most of all, Russian importers order fruits and nuts from abroad (17% in the commodity structure of food imports in value terms), drinks, including alcoholic (9.9%), dairy products, eggs and honey (8.7%), seeds and fruits (6.9%), fats and oils (6.4%), fish and seafood (6.3%).

Percentage of imports from areas

Among individual countries, the bulk of food is supplied to Russia from Belarus (13.5% in 2021 in value terms, primarily meat and dairy products) and Turkey (5.5%, mainly fruits and vegetables), as well as from Brazil (4.7%), Ecuador (4.3%) and China (4.2%). The CIS countries as a whole account for 20.6% of imports, the EU countries - 22.4%, and all states that supported sanctions against Russia, 28.7%.^[6]

2018: Sales slump from October 2017 to September 2018 by 3.2%

According to the consumer panel GfK, which consists of 20 thousand households in urban and rural Russia, for the first time the FMCG market showed negative dynamics by the end of the first half of 2018 (-1.8% in value terms). Comparison of July 2017 - June 2018 and the same period a year earlier. And according to the results of the annual period ending September 2018, the dynamics of sales decline increased (-3.2%). Comparison of October 2017 - September 2018 and the same period a year earlier.

The main reasons for the negative trend in the market for everyday goods are, firstly, the period of low inflation that was observed in the first half of the year - rather unusual conditions for the Russian market. Secondly, retailers and manufacturers overreached with promotions that put pressure on sales growth in monetary terms.

Thirdly, the decline in purchase volumes in most categories continued.

In Food, meat, eggs, fresh vegetables and fruits, fat and fat products, bakery products and baby food sank the most in terms of turnover in money. The category of frozen foods (+ 3.9%) made a positive contribution.

The growth in monetary terms of the frozen products category became possible due to the high dynamics of the ice cream category - it grew mainly due to higher prices, as well as due to the dumplings category, which received phenomenal consumer attention due to strong support in media and retail. The largest contribution to the growth of the dumplings category was made by such brands as Siberian Collection (over the past few years, growth from 11 to 3 places) and Miratorg (from 34 to 8).

"Using the example of the frozen products category, you can see that new items are an effective tool for sales growth and are able to provide positive dynamics of entire categories, provided there is sufficient communication support for launches. Thus, dumplings manufacturers managed to reformat a very familiar category to consumers due to the conclusion of interesting and fashionable tastes, for example, dumplings with marble beef. And thanks to a powerful advertising campaign and confident representation in retail, grow yourself and support the entire category, "says Elena Samodurova, Head of Consumer Panel Research at GfK[7].

Changes in the composition of the consumer basket signal that today the consumer is striving to spend more rationally on consumer goods. Apparently, people began to be more zealous about purchases, and priorities also changed, as indirectly indicated by the growth in sales of goods of long-term demand, mortgages, loans. In addition, there are signs that Russians are now preparing less at home. This is evidenced primarily by the reduction in purchases of fat and fat products and flour. During the 2014-2016 crisis, when the consumer began to spend more time at home, reduce takeaway purchases and prepared to save money, we saw an increase in these categories. Now, judging by the growth in the turnover of the restaurant business (+ 4%, according to Rosstat in the catering segment for the period from January to August 2018), as well as ready-made food (see Fig. 3), the consumer is again looking for convenience and saving time, which is given by the purchase of ready-made food and takeaways.

As for the volume of consumption in physical terms, the Russians bought more drinks in the annual period from October 2017 to September 2018. In other categories, negative dynamics is still observed (Fig. 2). Consumption of baby food as a whole remained stable (-0.5%), which is due to the current situation in the field of fertility in Russia.

Notes