During the Carnival period, Russians are increasing their purchases of caviar

During the Carnival period, Russians are almost one and a half times more likely than usual to purchase caviar online. Such data was shared with VARPE on February 14 by the online goods delivery service Cooper.

According to a study by caviar Sales, Russians increase online purchases of black caviar the most during the Carnival period. Last year, between February 18 and March 4, the number of cans of black caviar delivered to customers per day increased by almost two times compared to the monthly average. Black caviar is followed by red caviar, the number of purchases of which has increased by one and a half times, white caviar closes the top three with an increase in sales by a third. Carnival in 2025 was celebrated from February 24 to March 2, and this year — from February 16 to February 22.

"Red and black caviar are a delicacy, and a delicacy is expected for the holidays. For Russians, depending on their income level, these types of caviar are the main attribute of the festive table. That is why the peak sales of these types of fish products always occur on New Year's Eve and Shrovetide, February 23 and March 8. 2026 will be no exception. Moreover, caviar reserves are sufficient to cover consumer demand, and prices are stable," says German Zverev, President of VARPE.

The main volume — almost 80% — of online caviar purchases on Shrovetide at Cooper was for white caviar (a generalized category that includes capelin, herring, pollock, cod and pike caviar). Capelin caviar dominates this segment (57% of sales in the category), but it is sold in the form of a caviar product with the addition of other ingredients. Red caviar accounts for 19.6% of "Shrovetide" sales, while black caviar accounts for 1.2%.

According to VARPE estimates, the volume of the caviar market in the country varies from year to year depending on catch, but on average it is in the range of 17-20 thousand tons, of which two thirds are salmon caviar. Today, it occupies the most profitable marketing niche in Russia and retains its primacy in popularity among consumers.

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On January 2, Zverev said that there were no prerequisites for a shortage and rise in price of red caviar on the Russian market during the Carnival period. According to him, even during the New Year and holidays, there was a high demand for red caviar, but the situation in the segment of this product remained stable.

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