The capital has sharply overtaken the province in consumption of black caviar

The expert explains this by the “washout” of the middle class

While sales of black caviar increased by 11% in Moscow, they decreased by 5% in other regions of Russia. This conclusion was made by specialists of one of the services that analyze checks from stores. An excellent occasion once again to oppose the well-fed capital of a modest province. There is one more observation: in the regions, even if they buy caviar, then quite a bit – in jars of 20-30 grams, literally for one sandwich.

In the first six months of 2023, Muscovites spent 19% more on black caviar than last year. At the same time, the average purchase receipt is 8,200 rubles: this means that they most likely buy about 150 grams of caviar (if we compare this figure with prices in stores). It is specified that the cost of the delicacy has increased by about 8%. Outside the capital, the situation is different: the number of purchases has decreased by 5% compared to the same period last year, and the average bill for black caviar is 2,400 rubles. So, they buy quite a bit, literally for one sandwich – and in honor of the most special holidays.

Everyone knows that black caviar is a very expensive product. What exactly is hidden behind the word “expensive”? In one of the “gourmet” supermarkets in Moscow, the smallest (56 grams) jar of black caviar costs 4,450 rubles. This is enough, of course, only for 2-3 small sandwiches. A slightly more solid 113-gram jar can be bought for 9,799 rubles, and 250 grams of caviar will cost 22,450 rubles.

In an ordinary supermarket “near the house” the price is slightly lower – here a 100-gram can costs 5599 rubles (though with a note about the promotion).

Slightly different prices on specialized sites that promise direct deliveries of caviar from Astrakhan. Here the assortment begins with tiny jars of 28 grams (enough to spread a “welcome” sandwich for a first-grader on September 1!) and cost 1,900 rubles. Further, the price grows and even becomes a little more profitable: about 3,000 rubles will have to be paid for 50 grams of caviar, 6,250 rubles for a hundred grams … Those who do not waste time on trifles and buy half a kilo of black caviar at once will have to fork out for about 32 thousand rubles.

Another site that offers delicacies straight from the Caspian Sea estimates a kilogram of black caviar at 39,000 rubles. True, here the supplier clarifies: do you want caviar obtained from sturgeon by a slaughter or live method? Downhole will cost more – about 60 thousand rubles per kilo. This is not the only nuance: the price may also depend on the age of the sturgeons – the older the fish, the more expensive the caviar is (and the more intense the taste distinguishes it).

As financial consultant Viktor Gritsai explained in an interview with an MK correspondent, the change in demand for the delicacy is easy to explain, and it’s not about caviar at all.

– As in many other cases, the predictable happens – the middle class of buyers is washed away, those for whom such a purchase was “a little bit of luxury.” Look: those who bought black caviar regularly and in large quantities continued to buy it. Those who could not afford it at all, did not buy, and do not buy. But those who could afford a jar of black caviar for their birthday, for example, in 2023 reviewed their expenses and abandoned such a beautiful gesture, the expert argues. – This is true not only for black caviar, but also for many other products in the “above average” segment. Other expensive foods, such as salmon, red caviar, expensive cheeses, show the same dynamics. Well, the same can be said about trips abroad – those who saved up for a vacation for a whole year flew out of this segment of consumption.

However, it is not entirely correct to judge the demand for caviar in the summer: the peak of interest (and, accordingly, sales) for this delicacy traditionally falls on the New Year’s December or at least on the spring Maslenitsa.