67% of Russians are ready to buy food with an expiring date

67% of Russians are ready to buy food products that are coming to an end, of which 25% give priority to such products, according to a survey conducted by the National Financial Research Agency (NAFI).

The study was conducted in February 2023, 1600 respondents from all regions of Russia aged 18 years and older were interviewed.

NAFI identified three groups of consumers as part of the survey: those who prefer food with an expiration date (25% of respondents), making such purchases only as a last resort in the absence of fresher products (42%) and not ready to buy such products under any circumstances ( 28%).

Among well-to-do people and housewives, the share of those who never buy products with an expiration date is the highest – 36% and 37%, respectively.

60% of respondents try to consume products with an expiration date approaching the end. 25% of respondents prefer to give such food to pets. 14% of respondents dispose of products without waiting for the expiration date.

At the same time, the expired shelf life is not a good reason for throwing away food for all respondents. Only 19% of survey participants often throw away food because of this. The younger the respondents, the higher the proportion of those who act in this way. For example, among people aged 18-24 it is 38%, and among Russians aged 55 and older it is three times less (11%).

More than half of Russians (56%) rarely throw away food. 24% of respondents never throw away food or almost never, of which 40% are Russians over 55 years old.

“In relation to food products with borderline expiration dates, we see a developed responsible consumption of Russians and a high level of consumer literacy: the desire to prevent the presence of expired products at home, to use them as rationally as possible,” said Natalya Kuznetsova, director of marketing research at the NAFI Analytical Center.

The intentional purchase of food products, the expiration date of which is coming to an end, can be explained by the desire of consumers to save on such products, Dmitry Leonov, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Rusprodsoyuz Association, told Vedomosti.

“In an environment of low purchasing power and stagnant incomes, we see an increase in household austerity patterns. The introduction of discounts, promotions according to the remaining shelf life of goods on the shelf (the closer the expiration date, the higher the discount or the lower the price, etc.) can positively affect the dynamics of sales of such products,” he said.

According to Petr Shelishch, chairman of the Consumers Union of the Russian Federation, Russians have no reason to give preference to such food products. “I find it surprising to want to buy expired products. This is some kind of black humor that people prefer to utilize in themselves, ”he told Vedomosti.