According to Rostat, Russians began to assess their financial situation worse and expect less improvement in the economic situation. Buyers are more careful in assessing their financial situation and economic prospects. At the same time, spending on everyday purchases is growing in the regions.
During the year, household spending on groceries increased by 7.6% and the frequency of purchases by 4.8%. Russians go to stores more often, splitting purchases between small checks. In the non-food sector, the average bill decreased by 4.5%, while the frequency of purchases increased by 7.1%. It's easier to put off clothes, household items and other unnecessary purchases to save money for food and debt payments.
Regional differences are also evident in consumer sentiment. In the third quarter, the consumer confidence index in the northwest lost 14%, in the Volga region - 10%, in Siberia - 6%, in the Far East - 3%. Therefore, the all-Russian increase in cash spending may be accompanied by different situations in the regions: in some places families maintain their usual consumption, in others they more often choose cheap goods and postpone large purchases.