More than half of Russians trust the quality of fresh products sold in markets; at the same time, more and more Russians are losing trust in large chains and are switching to smaller stores, as revealed by the Nielsen report “The Russian consumer in the new economic conditions.”
Some 70% of Russian respondents believe that markets have a wider selection of fresh produce, while every second Russian believes that prices in the markets are lower than in chain stores.
Among fresh vegetables, the most popular in the baskets of consumers are cucumbers (92%) and tomatoes (91%), as well as potatoes and onions (79%). As for fruit, the most purchased are apples (81%), bananas (78%), lemons (56%) and peaches (49%). Seasonal berries were bought by 50% of respondents. Among them, the most popular are cherries, followed by strawberries and raspberries.
In terms of volume, Russians are reported to have reduced their purchases, with price increases as the main cause. During the survey period, every third Russian (33%) bought less fresh vegetables than last year. Approximately 57% bought them in the same quantities as last year, and 16% said they were buying less fresh vegetables, or even stopped buying them altogether, because they were growing them in their own garden. 15% of respondents complained about the quality of agricultural products.
“The opinion that fresh products at the market are better than those in supermarkets is largely due to the fact that their suppliers are national companies or companies from neighbouring countries, so goods are believed to gain in freshness and safety in the eyes of consumers,” states Marina Jerskowa, manager of the department evaluating the effectiveness of sales and marketing communications at Nielsen Russia.