Dairy Products Rank in Top 3 of Russian Consumer Spending
According to her, dairy products are purchased at least once a year by 100% of Russian families, with dairy items being bought on average every four days. Over the course of a year, more than 34 different brands are found in the consumer's basket.
According to data from ICMR "GfK-Rus," in the first half of 2025, the FMCG market grew by 17% in monetary terms compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, dairy categories showed a higher growth rate of +18.7%. In June, turnover reached 1.87 trillion rubles.
Growth leaders in the dairy segment:
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modern drinking dairy products ― +25% (in monetary terms), +11% (in physical terms),
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thick dairy products ― +23% and +9% respectively,
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cheese ― +22% and +7%,
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creamy products ― +20%, however, there is a 2% decline in physical terms.
There is especially notable growth in demand for value-added products. Lactose-free drinking dairy products showed a growth of +159%, Greek yogurts ― +77%, while natural thick yogurts and the vegan segment grew by 317% and 306% respectively.
"More than 55% of Russians show interest in protein products. 75% of consumers are willing to pay more for protein goods," emphasized Natalia Tyutikova ("Your Freelance Marketer").
Key differentiation factors for high-protein dairy products, according to her data: natural composition (57%), compact "on-the-go" packaging (45%), combination with other functional ingredients (41%), unusual flavors (37%).
R&D manager of the dairy category of the STM "VkusVill," Semyon Nefedov, noted that dairy products account for 14% of the network's sales structure. The highest growth is shown by lactose-free (+52%) and plant-based dairy products (+7%), with oat milk being especially popular.
According to experts, the snack market accounts for almost a third of the entire industry's turnover. However, despite the positive dynamics, the growth rates are gradually slowing down.
"Today, the key question for producers is how to keep the consumer's attention and offer exactly what will be in demand tomorrow," summarized Elena Samodurova.
