The research firm Nielsen reported a decline in the range of goods available in Russian grocery stores this July, Kommersant said on September 16. Compared with a year earlier, the assortment of food products fell by 2.3 percent, while non-food items dropped by 1.8 percent.
Alcohol products saw the steepest decline, down 5.6 percent, followed by children’s goods (5.1 percent), baby care products (8.3 percent), and facial care products (7.3 percent). Nielsen did not specify which categories of food were affected.
Some segments showed modest growth, including hygiene products, which rose by one percent.
Analysts told Kommersant that the shrinking assortments reflect retailers purchasing fewer new items. They also noted that stores are reducing their floor space, a shift linked to changing consumer habits. Chains are increasingly focusing on smaller outlets with more ready-to-eat meals and virtually no non-food products. From January to July, the average floor space of grocery chains fell by 0.7 percent, according to Infoline.
The supermarket chain Lenta told Kommersant it is reviewing its offerings to keep only the most in-demand items, while subleasing freed-up space. X5 Group, which owns the Perekrestok and Pyaterochka grocery chains, said its average store size declined by 0.9 percent in the first half of 2025, and that over the past three years its product range has been “optimized” by an average of 15–20 percent.