Online sales of food products are expanding rapidly across Russia’s regions, driven by changing consumer habits, improving online infrastructure, and a steady push from major retailers into new markets. This trend emerges from the latest market review reported by Kommersant, based on data provided by Infoline. The study highlights a strong first quarter in 2024, with the e-grocery market reaching 310 billion rubles and showing an impressive annual growth rate of 55 percent. Such numbers underscore a shift in how households shop for groceries, with digital channels increasingly becoming the primary means of procurement in many locales. The momentum is not uniform, but the overall trajectory points toward deeper regional penetration and a broader buyer base.
Analysts note that the early year picture featured faster expansion in the capital region and surrounding areas, including Moscow and its environs, compared to other major cities. The data suggests online grocery adoption is outpacing growth in St. Petersburg, a pattern often linked to a lower baseline of online grocery penetration in some regions and a gradual rise in disposable incomes across several constituent entities of the federation. As more households gain access to reliable delivery options and digital payment methods, the regional differences tend to smooth out, enabling nationwide scale.
Leading retail players are accelerating their regional deployments to counter slower growth in dense metro markets. Magnit, for instance, has extended its online footprint well beyond Moscow and the Moscow region and now targets multiple regional hubs. The company reports that a significant majority of its online orders come from St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region, illustrating how strong urban demand can anchor regional e-grocery networks. These moves reflect a broader strategy to balance growth between large cities and outlying areas where competition is intensifying and consumer expectations are rising.
Growth is especially pronounced in Siberia and the Far East, where the distance between suppliers and customers makes efficient logistics a decisive factor. Market observers point out that online product sales volumes have increased in these macro-regions, with Moscow and St. Petersburg still accounting for sizable shares, but the pace of expansion in distant territories is accelerating. While the central hubs help anchor the market, rural and regional populations are increasingly embracing express delivery options, which in turn fuels demand for a broader assortment and faster restocking cycles.
There is a discernible shift in consumer preferences toward shorter delivery windows, with two-hour express delivery gaining appeal even as shoppers continue to buy in bulk for future use. Industry experts anticipate that the online grocery category will continue to grow, potentially reaching 1.45 trillion rubles by the end of 2024. If this forecast holds, the share of e-grocery within total retail sales could surpass the 10 percent mark, signaling a meaningful structural change in how everyday goods are purchased in both urban and regional markets.
Other notable developments include price dynamics within the food segment, where certain staples such as sushi and prepared rolls have seen price pressures early in the year. The evolving cost structure can influence consumer choices and delivery strategies, pushing retailers to optimize menus, supplier relationships, and delivery logistics to maintain value for money. The market environment is evolving from a simple online storefront to a highly coordinated ecosystem that blends digital ordering, real-time inventory, and agile courier networks.
In response to rapidly changing demand, courier compensation and working conditions have become a focal point for the industry. There has been a marked uptick in recommended salaries for couriers as companies seek to attract and retain talent in a competitive landscape where speed and reliability are critical differentiators. This trend feeds back into the cost structure of online grocery and can influence consumer prices and delivery options in the months ahead.