POPAI-news: If there is goods, everything is good

POPAI and Shop!* chapters keep in touch and the member organizations are constantly informing each other about the consequences of the virus situation, with particular regard to the development of the Retail, the FMCG sector and the instore industry. The effects of the coronavirus and restrictive measures are most noticeable in Moscow and St. Petersburg, in Russia.

According to Statista market researcher, Russia had a three-digit increase in sales in several categories of traditional offline food sales between March 16 and 22, 2020, compared to the same period last year. Rice increased by 224%, buckwheat by 209% and dry pasta by 192%. Wet wipes, sugar and toilet paper are also on the list of the three-digit growth.

Continuous supply

The wave of panic shopping in March posed a major challenge to Russian food retail. However, the initial out of stock shortages have been overcome and photos of the richly stocked shelves are being shared on social networks as part of the “# товаресть” „products available” campaign.

The Russian Auchan even made a funny, guerrilla marketing video https://www.instagram.com/p/B-fIBS8pacb/, in which the sacrificial staff spend day and night loading up the shelves. And if you don’t want to go into the hypermarket, you can place your order over the phone, which will be ready for you in 60 minutes and can be paid and receive at the Pick-up Point.

Attention is drawn to the need for social distancing in Russia too.

Almost everything is available online

There is time to shop, as most Russians are on paid leave between March 30 and April 30. Almost everything else is closed, except the grocery trade, pharmacies, pet stores, banks and financial markets, basic services.

Moscow and St. Petersburg are most affected by the diseases and restrictions, and e-commerce is also the most important here.

Online grocery orders have risen by 40% as a result of announcements and then returned to baseline, says Anna Lebedeva, GM of POPAI Russia.

Further increases are expected after the government has promised to allow the sale of non-prescription drugs and alcoholic beverages via the web.

* POPAI, from 2015 named Shop! is an international organization of the Marketing and Retail industry which headquarters placed in Chicago and Hollywood Florida, representing nearly 2000 local offices. Hungary joined with the POPAI Hungary Association in 2003, which has since then been a nonprofit professional, educational, research and knowledge transfer organisation active mainly in the FMCG sector. Read more: popai.hu