Vegetable sales fall in Russia amid inflation
Fresh vegetable sales in Russia have plummeted. Their sales volume dropped by 2.6% over the year to July 2025, according to data from Nielsen, which was cited by the Russian business daily Kommersant.
Some categories saw a much steeper decline, with eggplant sales falling by 16% year-on-year, and zucchini by 10.5%. Potato sales also dropped by 6.4%, as reported by the independent news outlet, The Moscow Times.
While cucumbers were the most popular vegetable on the retail market from March to July, demand for them still dropped by 17% compared to the previous year, according to the payment service T-Pay. Tomato purchases fell by 18% and potatoes by 8%.
The analytics company NTech also reported a drop in demand for radishes, which fell by 6.3% year-on-year, and for zucchini by 11.3% in the first half of the year.
Overall, the slowdown in consumer demand for food products has been significant in 2025, according to Leonid Ardalionov, NTech's analytics director. While food sales volume grew by 6% year-on-year in the first half of 2024, the pace was only 2.2% this year. "Consumers who were opting for higher-quality products last year are now optimising their shopping habits," Ardalionov explained.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
