Business · Economy · 1 hr ago
Prepared meal portions in Russia shrink by 10.3% in a year
The average prepared food portion in Russia fell 10.3% over the past year, reaching 266 grams.
The figures cover prepared meals sold in Russia, where grocery stores account for about a quarter of the market.
Retailers face low margins and high operating costs, including spending on kitchens, packaging and delivery, while short shelf lives lead to many products being discarded.
Producers are also finding it harder to pass rising costs on to customers because competition is intense and demand is weakening.
They are cutting portion sizes to hold prices down, a form of shrinkflation.
But changing tastes may also play a role: in the first half of 2026, snack sales rose 48% in value, faster than sales of main dishes and salads.
Retail stores’ share of prepared food sales could grow to 40% by 2030, though that is a projection.
The average portion of prepared food in Russia fell by 10.3% over the past year to 266 grams, according to analytics company Ntec calculations cited by Kommersant.
Rising production costs, intense competition and weakening demand are prompting producers to reduce portion sizes, experts said.
Retailers face low profit margins and costs for central kitchens, packaging and logistics, while 14% of products are written off because of their short shelf life.
Demand is also shifting toward smaller prepared snacks such as onigiri, sandwiches and hot dogs.
In the first half of 2026, sales of these snacks rose by 48% in value, compared with 16% for main dishes and 14% for salads.
- Who
- Producers of prepared food in Russia are reducing portion sizes.
- What
- Portions fell by 10.3% over the past year to 266 grams.
- When
- The reported decline was over the past year. The source was published on October 14, 2026.
- Where
- Russia.
- Why
- Rising costs are harder to pass on to consumers amid intense competition and weakening demand. Smaller portions may also reflect changing demand for prepared food.
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- Portion-size decline
- 10.3% over the past year
- Average portion
- 266 grams
- Prepared-food write-offs
- 14% of products
- Snack sales growth
- 48% by value in the first half of 2026
- Main-dish sales growth
- 16% in the first half of 2026
- Salad sales growth
- 14% in the first half of 2026