The hot summer of 2023, especially remembered by residents of the eastern regions of the Russian Federation, noticeably spurred sales of almost all seasonal products, such as beer, soft carbonated drinks, water and ice cream, which eventually updated the maximum of the summer of 2021, also distinguished by temperature records, follows from the materials of the research company NielsenIQ (RIA Novosti has).
Experts conducted a retail audit in the largest retail chains of the Russian Federation for the period from June to August 2022 and 2023, comparing sales with the same period in 2021. "At the end of June-August, sales of all the largest seasonal categories — beer, cider, chocolate bars, soft carbonated drinks, ice cream, water and iced tea — exceeded the record level of 2021, which was remembered for a series of temperature records," the materials say.
The company clarified that in monetary terms in the summer of 2023, the turnover of these categories in retail chains amounted to more than 255 billion rubles, although during the period of record sales in 2021 it was at the level of about 200 billion rubles.
"August became the warmest month of the summer of 2023: due to the hot weather during this period, sales of some categories, such as drinking water and ice cream, were able to reach the level of two years ago, although this barrier was not overcome in June-July. In addition to the warm weather, it was important for the growth of sales of seasonal categories to strengthen consumer optimism and willingness to spend money, as well as the development of the assortment in terms of categories," explained Saltanat Nysanova, Director of Customer Relations at NielsenIQ.
EVERYTHING EXCEPT CIDER
In the summer of 2023, compared with the summer of last year, all seasonal categories, with the exception of cider, showed an increase in natural sales: for example, plus 2.4% for beer against an increase of 1.4% in the summer of 2022, but minus 3% for cider, after a sharp jump (by 27.3%) last summer. And the sales of iced tea grew the most in physical terms — by 31.3% year-on-year (in the same period last year they fell by 14.7%).
Chocolate bars (plus 13.1%) and ice cream (plus 11.6%) are in the second and third positions in terms of dynamics; last summer, ice cream sales fell by 3.8%, and bars increased by 21.3%. This dynamic is a plus for the industry, as it speaks about the purchasing power and mood of consumers, says Natalia Utkina, Deputy General Director of the Ice Cream Union.
According to Rosstat, ice cream sales in the Russian Federation have grown by 9% year—on-year for seven months: according to Utkina, similar dynamics are possible by the end of August, and growth in September is also possible - if the Indian summer period drags on, it will contribute to demand.
Sales of non—alcoholic carbonated drinks and drinking water in pieces this summer increased by 10.4% and 5.8%, and last summer - fell by 6.6% and 5.2%. "The summer season of 2023 was really characterized by elevated temperatures in a number of Russian regions. This factor could have influenced the increase in consumption of many categories of beverages, including packaged waters and soft drinks," commented Maxim Novikov, president of the Union of Juice, Water and Beverage Producers.
REGION TO REGION DISCORD
According to the Phobos Center, the summer of 2023 in Russia became the third hottest in the history of observations: high temperatures persisted mainly in the Asian part of the country, especially in the Far East and Siberia. "Against this background, sales of seasonal categories in the regions developed much faster than in the central part of the country," the company's experts point out.
For example, if in Moscow natural sales of beer, cider, soda, ice cream, and drinking water slowed down by last year, then similar categories in Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg and other major cities grew at double-digit rates. And in the category of iced tea, sales of which are accelerating in all the listed geographies, sales rates in some of them have reached 50-80%.
Thus, in Moscow from June to August, compared with the same period last year, sales of chocolate bars (by 7.6%) and iced tea (by 7.2%) increased in kind, positive dynamics in these positions in St. Petersburg (plus 7.2% and plus 19.3%). Ice cream sales fell in both cities — by 5.2% and 1.1%, while soda sales decreased in Moscow (by 5.6%) and increased in St. Petersburg (by 1.6%).
In turn, beer sales in summer increased in Yekaterinburg and Novosibirsk — by 5.3% and by 14.5%. In the same two cities, sales of cider increased (by 5.6% and 12.1%), ice cream — by 21.7% and 37.7%, as well as iced tea by more than 1.5 times (plus 53.8% and plus 87%). Carbonated drinks without alcohol were also bought there more than a year ago — by 20.1% and by 26.2%.
In Vladivostok, the demand for iced tea has also increased this summer (sales growth by 22%); in addition, drinking water (by 10.3%), soft carbonated drinks (plus 12.2% year-on-year), and ice cream (plus 7.3%). And sales of beer and cider in the port city fell by 3% and by 19.5%.
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