The Coffee with Sandwich index tracks how popular breakfast items move in value and consumption. In the first half of April, this index eased by 3.6 points, landing at 98.4. This figure was developed by RIA Novosti from data gathered by the analytics service Check Index, offering a practical snapshot of everyday grocery behavior during the morning meal window.
The index calculation relies on seven core products commonly used in breakfast routines: loaf bread (400 grams), ham (200 grams), butter (180 grams), cheese (200 grams), cucumbers (500 grams), instant coffee (95 grams), and sugar (1 kilogram). The base point value, 100, is anchored to the period from October 1 to October 15, 2022, providing a stable frame of reference for month-to-month and year-to-date comparisons.
In the first half of April, sugar control rose by 1.8 percent, settling at 57 rubles on average. Butter prices showed a modest uptick, climbing 0.8 percent to 131 rubles per unit. In contrast, the overall grocery bill demonstrated notable declines for some items: ham dropped 11.8 percent to 112 rubles, and cucumbers fell 11.2 percent to 143 rubles. Coffee prices slipped 3.5 percent to 165 rubles, and cheese decreased by 1.3 percent to 155 rubles. The price of loaf bread stayed steady at 29 rubles. These movements illustrate how the morning shopping basket can drift in response to supply, demand, and seasonal factors, even when the mix of products remains constant.
On April 18, the newspaper Izvestia highlighted a separate but related trend in retail behavior. The cost of a bundled barbecue set, which typically includes meat, ready-to-cook skewers, charcoal, and lighter fluid, rose by eight percent over the course of the year, approaching 2,200 rubles. The reporting linked this uplift to favorable spring weather in the central regions, which tends to lift outdoor eating and social gatherings. The timing coincides with a broader seasonal push in meat and grilling categories, amplified by Easter celebrations that often boost consumer spending in related sectors. The narrative suggests that pleasant conditions and holiday periods reinforce demand for ready-made and easily prepared foods, influencing adjacent price groups and consumer baskets alike. Attribution: RIA Novosti and Izvestia reporting on price dynamics and seasonal demand.
Earlier in March, the same Coffee with Sandwich index showed a modest dip, decreasing by 2.3 points to 102. While any single month may show volatility, the pattern of small shifts across multiple items helps analysts gauge underlying consumer confidence and the sensitivity of a typical breakfast cart to macroeconomic signals. Taken together, these data points reveal how households adjust morning routines in response to price changes, while keeping a familiar core of staple items in their shopping lists. Attribution: RIA Novosti analysis based on Check Index data and Izvestia market reporting.