Dynamics of consumer demand for dumplings in Russia: analysis of market trends

In recent years, much attention has been paid to the prepared food segment, but the dynamics of traditional food products such as dumplings deserve no less attention. A study conducted by ROMIR demonstrates impressive growth in dumpling sales from October 2023 to September 2024: an increase in monetary terms of 34%, and in tonnage - +21% compared to the same period of the previous year. This trend is due to several factors. Firstly, there is an increase in the number of dumpling buyers: the increase was almost 4 percentage points, and currently 81% of Russian families purchase this product at least once a year. In addition, the frequency of purchases has also increased. It is noteworthy that the average bill for dumplings (256 rubles) significantly exceeds the average bill for prepared food (178 rubles), which indicates an underestimation of the category due to the focus on more convenient, ready-made solutions. However, the Russian consumer demonstrates a strong commitment to traditional products, which confirms the stable demand for pelmeni.
Specialized stores play a significant role in the success of the category. In particular, the Ermoolino chain demonstrated significant sales growth due to the switching of customers from leading national brands, such as Goryachaya Shtuchka, Sibirskaya Kollektsiya, Caesar and Miratorg, as well as private labels. This indicates a conscious choice of the consumer in favor of specialized stores that guarantee the quality of the products. At the same time, the competitive pricing policy of Ermoolino also plays an important role, since the price of their pelmeni is slightly lower than that of competitors. Thus, the price-quality ratio remains a key factor in making a purchase decision for the Russian consumer. The geographical accessibility of the Ermoolino chain, including the placement of stores in close proximity to large retail chains such as Magnit u Doma and Pyaterochka, also contributes to sales growth.
Another interesting trend is the active switching of consumers to the Myasnoy Dvorik Halal brand. Despite its relatively recent appearance on the market and its predominant concentration in the Central Federal District (Moscow and Moscow Region), this brand has demonstrated successful displacement of major competitors. This indicates a growing demand for halal products among the corresponding part of the Russian population. In conclusion of the analysis, it should be noted that specialized offline stores occupy a significant share of the dumplings market, accounting for every fourth ruble spent on this product in Russia.