The expert explains this by «washing out» the middle class
While sales of black caviar increased by 11% in Moscow, they decreased by 5% in other regions of Russia. This conclusion was made by specialists of one of the services that analyze checks from stores. An excellent occasion once again to oppose the well-fed capital of a modest province. There is one more observation: in the regions, if they even buy caviar, then quite a bit – jars of 20-30 grams, literally for one sandwich.
In the first six months of 2023, Muscovites spent 19% more on black caviar than last year. At the same time, the average purchase receipt – 8200 rubles: this means that they most likely buy about 150 grams of caviar (if you compare this figure with prices in stores). It is specified that the cost of the delicacy has increased by about 8%. Outside the capital, the situation is different: the number of purchases decreased by 5% compared to the same period last year, and the average bill for black caviar – 2400 rubles. So, they buy quite a bit, literally for one sandwich – and in honor of the most special holidays.
Everyone knows that black caviar – the product is very expensive. What exactly is hidden behind the word «expensive»? In one of the «gourmet» supermarkets in Moscow, the smallest (56 grams) jar of black caviar costs 4450 rubles. This is enough, of course, only for 2-3 small sandwiches. A slightly more solid 113-gram jar can be bought for 9,799 rubles, and 250 grams of caviar will cost 22,450 rubles.
In an ordinary supermarket «at home»; the price is slightly lower – here a 100-gram jar costs 5599 rubles (albeit with a note about the action).
Slightly different prices on specialized sites that promise direct deliveries of caviar from Astrakhan. Here the assortment begins with tiny jars of 28 grams (enough to spread a «welcome» sandwich for a first grader on September 1!) and cost 1,900 rubles. Further & nbsp; the price grows and becomes even a little more profitable: about 3000 rubles will have to be paid for 50 grams of caviar, 6250 rubles for one hundred grams… Those who do not waste time on trifles and buy half a kilo of black caviar at once will have to fork out for about 32 thousand rubles.
Another site that offers delicacies straight from the Caspian Sea estimates a kilogram of black caviar at 39,000 rubles. True, here the supplier clarifies: do you want caviar obtained from sturgeons by a slaughter or live method? Downhole will cost more – about 60 thousand rubles per kilo. This is not the only nuance: the price may also depend on the age of the sturgeons – the older the fish, the more expensive the caviar is (and the more intense the taste distinguishes it).
As explained in an interview with the MK correspondent; financial consultant Viktor Gritsai, the change in demand for the delicacy is easy to explain, and it's not about caviar at all.
– As in many other cases, the predictable – the middle class of buyers is washed out, those for whom such a purchase was «a little bit of luxury.» Look: those who bought black caviar regularly and in large quantities continued to buy it. Those who could not afford it at all, did not buy, and do not buy. But those who could afford a jar of black caviar for their birthday, for example, in 2023 reviewed their expenses and abandoned such a beautiful gesture, – the expert argues. – This is true not only for black caviar, but also for many other products in the «above average» segment. Other expensive foods, such as salmon, red caviar, expensive cheeses, show the same dynamics. Well, the same can be said about trips abroad – those who saved up for holidays all year left this segment of consumption.
However, it is not entirely correct to judge the demand for caviar in summer: the peak of interest (and, accordingly, sales) in this delicacy traditionally falls on New Year's December or at least for the spring Maslenitsa.