Sales of red caviar in Russia fell by 22%

Sales of red caviar in Russia fell by 22%. This is evidenced by the data of a study by the All-Russian Association of Fishermen (VARPE) and the NTech company, which was reviewed by Izvestia on August 12.

"From April 2024 to March 2025, all categories of caviar shelves showed growth, with the exception of red caviar, whose sales in physical terms decreased by 21.9%. But it still occupies more than a third of the caviar basket, remaining the leading product," the study says.

It is noted that Krasnaya forms 68.4% of the "caviar receipt" in the Russian retail. At the same time, for example, cod caviar accounts for 7.2% of cash sales, pollock — 6.3%, herring — 5.8%, sturgeon (black) — 4.6%.

"Indeed, sales of red caviar in the network of multi-product retail are declining. There are several reasons for this. The first is that the twenty—year period of high catches of Pacific salmon, which produce over 90% of the total volume of red caviar in the country, has ended. Compared to 2023, the catch tripled in 2024, which led to a commensurate decrease in caviar production. According to scientists' forecasts, record catches should not be expected in the next five to six years, which means that there will be no sharp increase in supply," German Zverev, president of VARPE, explained to Izvestia.

According to him, the second reason is the change in distribution channels: online platforms, both large marketplaces and online stores of manufacturers / traders and niche "fish" boutiques, have become an important sales channel for red caviar.

Another reason for the decline in sales, according to Zverev, lies in the transformation of the customer experience: consumers are increasingly buying caviar in small packages, in tin or glass jars, as a gift or to satisfy their need for "gastronomic delights" without prejudice to the budget in traditional retail.

"For a more significant purchase, Russians go to markets, specialty stores or online, where there is a wider choice in terms of both quality and price. Segmentation of demand for red caviar and supply channels to markets will continue, but it will not lead to a significant decrease in the popularity of this product. Red caviar is sewn into the culinary code of Russia and will retain its place as the main snack on the festive table," the business representative believes.

In turn, Leonid Ardalonov, Director of analytics at NTech, noted that from autumn to December 2024, red caviar in retail rose by an average of 66%. In his opinion, such a price increase naturally had a negative impact on sales, because consumers can still perceive an increase of 20-30%, but when it comes to 60-70%, they begin to actively abandon the product.

Tell us about shopping: Russians have started spending more in stores

The average receipt increased by 10%

Earlier, on July 31, Igor Balynin, PhD in Economics, associate professor at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, said that in August the cost of products for borscht would decrease to 20%. He explained that this is due to cheaper potatoes (by 1.5–2 times), onions and carrots (by 35%), beets (by 20%), as well as sauerkraut and pickles (by 30 and 15%, respectively).

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