The Russians sharply bought stew and sugar for the future

As it was not difficult to imagine, the partial mobilization announced in the country stirred up among the Russians the mood to make food supplies. So, just in case of a fire … Long queues in stores and the usual announcements about limiting sales to one person have not yet been observed. But they buy for the future the most durable and cheap products.

According to analysts of the consulting agency NielsenIQ, from September 19 to October 2, sales of granulated sugar and stew in monetary terms increased by 70 and 58%, respectively. Compared to last year, the demand for rice also increased by 45%. Actually, it has increased for all goods that “do not pull the pocket”, that is, they can be stored for a long time without human intervention: first of all, for canned meat and fish – by 24%.

By and large, the authors of the study did not discover any America for us. The Russian person is arranged in such a way that at any opportunity he tries to stock up for the future. Our grandparents bought up matches and kerosene, we picked up this baton, but switched to canned food (fish, relatively cheap) and cereals.

Moreover, the case presented itself quite suitable. The partial mobilization announced in the country, according to the Public Opinion Foundation, raised the level of anxiety among the population to 70%. The gathering of conscripts is short-lived: it is necessary to put provisions in a soldier’s satchel for several days. Yes, and our inner voice tells us that the period of deflation (price reduction) in Russia is over and the price increase is about to begin.

According to experts, these two factors coincided, and another food boom has been outlined in society.

It is strange that our economy, which is sensitive (to any increase in demand), did not immediately react with a sharp rise in prices for products popular among the people. As you know, the price tags on the shelves change as soon as, so immediately, even if this stuff is in warehouses for months ahead and it was produced two or three years ago.

And here – nothing, no surge in prices. In the federal retail chains, we were told that they did not have a boom in either canned food or rice. Dmitry Leonov, deputy chairman of the board of the Rusprodsoyuz association, shares this opinion: “During the period of mobilization measures, no growth in demand was recorded for these categories of goods. The average spending of Russians even decreased.”

Rosstat states that from October 4 to 10, rice fell in price by 0.4%. And buckwheat, without which not a single rise in price can do in Russia, has also fallen in price. Even more than rice – by all 2.33%. This year there is an overproduction of buckwheat, harvested 2.5 times more than last year’s level.

We asked experts to comment on this nonsense. How is this possible in Russia – demand without a rise in price and a temporary shortage, which causes an even greater increase in prices?

Chairman of the Consumers Union of the Russian Federation and member of the Expert Council under the Government of the Russian Federation Petr Shelishch suggests that the relative stability in food prices is still the result of “regulation, control and recommendations to retail chains by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Federal Antimonopoly Service.”

– Do not raise prices for socially important products of the 1st row, – he says. – Trading networks do not need excessive attention from the authorities, it is better to listen to their advice. They have their own life, the growth of trade turnover and profits. They are able to afford to keep the prices of some goods. And to compensate for the lost profit due to high margins on other, expensive products.

“However, there is no official evidence that the demand for certain products has increased significantly …

– Our statistics adopted the bad tradition of the Central Statistical Bureau of the USSR – the Central Statistical Office. Then, too, much was hushed up. Today it is difficult to find information to understand what is happening. I mean, even managers who, by analyzing and comparing indicators, must make specific decisions. based on exact numbers.

You will not find data on sales volumes for individual categories of goods. Prices appear in such reports, but sales volumes do not. With great difficulty I found, and then only partial data for August. And they are very selective, on certain organizations, without taking into account small businesses. Recently, demand in society has shifted towards simple and cheap products. Today, it is they who support the basic quality of life of Russians; we are gradually abandoning other aspects of comfort.

Published in the newspaper “Moskovsky Komsomolets” No. 28893 dated October 19, 2022

Newspaper headline:
Stew does not pull pocket