In Moldova, the range of food products may be reduced, and prices will increase by at least 10-15%.
This is reported by the publication "Economic Review Logos-Press", referring to representatives of retail chains. As expected, the first wave of increases will take place in mid-March - the meat line and groceries will rise in price, the supply of which was provided by traders from Ukraine and Russia. “Ukraine has been our main supplier of cheap meat, in particular chicken. Neighbors also supplied a steady supply of groceries such as cereals. Along with Russian producers, Ukrainians filled Moldovan trade networks with buckwheat, rice, various other cereals and bulk products. These product categories will account for the main deficit. There are no new deliveries: the Ukrainian authorities have banned the export of consumer goods, and their delivery from Russia is not yet possible - there is no available logistics, ”explains Dumitru Razloga, CEO of Bonus and Local chains. According to him, local producers cannot cover domestic demand. With the exception of flour, sugar and pasta made from soft wheat, there is no Moldovan-made groceries or it is produced in small quantities. It is unprofitable to import from China: container transportation has risen in price by 5 times. Under the current conditions, it makes no sense to bring highly liquid FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) from China - the price tag will increase significantly. European manufacturers do not offer the required assortment or good purchase prices. “It is necessary to take into account the fact that the Russian and Ukrainian manufacturers supplied us with bulk products mainly in bulk form. In Moldova, they were packaged under different brands, inclusive under the "private label" of retail chains. And in the West, all groceries are branded, with high added value. That is why it makes no sense to buy it in large volumes. For example, European rice costs 30 lei per kg, while Russian rice costs 12 lei. European processors only supply a stable line of durum pasta, especially from Italy. This retail will fill the vacant space on the shelves. So, we do not predict an extremely painful shortage, but some commodity items will definitely be lost for a long time,” Razloga believes. The second tangible wave of rises in prices is expected in another two weeks, when the warehouse stocks of traders will require replenishment. New deliveries are new expensive logistics, and these risks will be reflected in the price. Other costs will also have an effect - a rise in the price of gas, gasoline, diesel fuel, as well as an increase in average wages in the retail system. The purchase price will include inflation. As a result, mass-market food products will increase in price by at least 10-15% and will constantly rise in price. However, according to the networkers, the rise in prices is unlikely to affect consumer traffic: one average supermarket (up to 1,000 sqm) still generates 2,500 checks per day. True, due to the rise in price, the amount of the “average check” will change, which will jump from the current 130 lei to 150-160 lei.// 04.03.2022 — InfoMarket
