19.12.2024 | Aluminium Association

On December 17, the Aluminium Association held a thematic meeting of the Consumer Goods sector, where participants discussed the state of the Russian kitchenware market, current trends and forecasts of consumer behaviour, standardisation issues, market protection measures and support for exporters, as well as industrial design opportunities for the Consumer Goods industry.

'Consumer Goods and packaging sectors are some of the largest aluminium consumers in Russia, accounting for about 30% of total consumption in 2023. Currently, one of the key tasks of the sector is to bring new products to the domestic market,' said Irina Kazovskaya, Chair of the Aluminium Association, in her opening speech.

The Russian kitchenware market volume is 39,700 tonnes of aluminium, with 75% produced by Russian manufacturers. Compared to last year, the market volume grew by 10.8%.

In 2023, aluminium ware imports increased by 20%, or 9,700 tonnes. The import of cast kitchenware decreased by 1.8 times, and its place was taken by the import of stamped kitchenware, most of which is imported from China. Major European brands have almost stopped importing their products to Russia.

Natalya Kudenkova, Head of the Consumer Goods Sector of the Aluminium Association, provided the meeting participants with information on consumer behaviour trends in the FMCG goods market, which have an impact on the consumer goods sector. These trends include personalisation, attention to self, regionalisation, and digitalisation. There is a change of buyer generations, and demand structures are gradually reshaping the market. People between the ages of 30 and 49 are becoming the main buying group. Their focus is on expecting the widest range of expectations to be met: pleasure, convenience, personalisation, novelty, and emotions. Other factors that influence demand include a significant rise in the number of single-person households, which reached up to 42%. Additionally, there has been an increase in the popularity of ready-to-eat meals. In 2024, their sales rose by 31.7%.

During the meeting, issues of standardisation and certification were discussed, as well as a working plan for revising and developing new state standards for consumer goods.