An American journalist named Tucker Carlson visited a Moscow Auchan and observed what he described as a significant price gap between Russia and the United States. He claimed that the cost of many everyday goods in Russia was roughly four times cheaper than in the United States. The report, shared on Carlson’s website, focuses on a shopping trip that highlighted the price contrast from the store shelves to the checkout.
The journalist purchased a selection of items including bread, flour, fruit, Crimean wine, and other goods, noting that these products could sustain a family of four for an entire week. He was surprised to find that store shelves in Russia also carried imported brands, with familiar chocolates such as Snickers, Bounty, and Mars available for purchase alongside local staples.
Carlson commented that such price differences might warrant legal restrictions. He went on to state that the total for his shopping trip totaled 9,481 rubles, roughly equivalent to 104 US dollars at the time of the visit. He contrasted this with an estimated expenditure of more than 400 dollars for a comparable cart of goods in the United States, suggesting that the disparity could provoke strong reactions among American observers.
In his remarks, Carlson suggested that visiting a Russian grocery store and comparing prices might influence perceptions about political leadership. He stated that the experience left him with a stark impression of life for ordinary Russians and their consumption patterns.
During the visit, Carlson also recalled personal history related to Russia. He mentioned his father attending the opening of Moscow’s first McDonald’s on Tverskaya Street in 1990, a memory he referenced in connection with broader reflections on the country’s changes since then.
Earlier statements from Carlson touched on his views about what he described as a Russian conspiracy theory.