Russian retailers have sharply reduced the opening of home-based stores. By the end of 2025, the appearance of new retail outlets within walking distance slowed down by six times – this is the maximum drop since 2017, according to a study by Infoline.
According to “Kommersant”, one of the key reasons was the decline in profitability: due to rising costs and regional restrictions, the payback periods for such stores have significantly increased, and some outlets have even stopped making a profit and are closing down. At the same time, not so long ago, this format was considered the fastest growing in retail.
In total, in 2025, FMCG retailers from the top 200 largest by turnover opened 952 new home-based stores. A year earlier, this figure was 5,660 (including closures). The most significant decline was shown by the alcohol stores “Krasnoe & Beloe” and “Bristol”, as well as the grocery stores “Vkusvil” and “Yache”. The decline in Russians’ purchasing power and the increase in business costs against the backdrop of economic problems in the country had a significant impact, notes Roman Samoilov, project manager of the “Consumer Sector and Agro-Industrial Complex” practice at Strategy Partners (The Moscow Times).
