Russian retail stores experienced a noticeable decline in visitor numbers during the first six months of 2026, according to data from payment and analytics firms, with the sharpest drops recorded in alcohol and tobacco outlets.
Data from Evotor, a company that supplies cash-register equipment across Russia, show that convenience stores lost 10% of their foot traffic compared with the same period a year earlier. Alcohol retailers saw a 14% decline, tobacco shops posted an 18% drop, and beer stores recorded an 8% fall. Flower shops reported a 6% decrease, specialty food stores 5%, and supermarkets in shopping centers also saw traffic fall by 5%.
The payment service T-Pay reported a similar pattern: the number of transactions at supermarkets dropped 4%, at alcohol stores 12%, and at tobacco retailers 18%. Focus Technologies, which monitors shopping center traffic, confirmed a decrease in visitor numbers.
Critical interpretations of the data
Independent economists and critics of Russian economic policy interpret the falling traffic as a symptom of deeper structural problems. They argue that the prolonged war is diverting budget resources to the military sector, leaving civilian industries without investment, driving up prices, and reducing real household incomes.
Critics also point to the Central Bank’s high interest rates. They say tight monetary policy has restricted access to credit for both businesses and consumers, making installment purchases and consumer loans less available. Households that still have savings, according to this view, are keeping money in deposits or cash rather than spending, further reducing retail turnover.
Discrepancy with official statistics
Critics note a gap between official data and ground-level trends. Russia’s state statistics service, Rosstat, reports rising incomes and wages. However, Rosstat data also show that in the first week of July 2026 alone, consumer prices rose 0.31%, and the cost of a minimum food basket has increased nearly 4% since the start of the year. According to critics, for most consumers — those not employed in the defense sector or receiving military payments — price growth outpaces income growth, squeezing retailers’ margins.
Non-essential spending under pressure
Declines in categories such as fresh flowers (-6%) and specialty food products (-5%) suggest that the average household budget has been cut to a minimum, critics say, as consumers reduce even small discretionary purchases.
