Moscow retail by September 1, has missed a quarter of buyers

[DARPA]

Moscow retail network for a week before the start of the school year missed 23% of customers indicates Shopping Index of Watcom. Compared with 2012 Shopping Index in the 35th week (August 25-31) fell by 21%. "They were waiting for the traditional spike before September 1 to prepare for it all the shopping malls and brands. Traffic increased, but little tendency to attendance remains negative "- quoted by" Vedomosti "President Watcom Roman Skorokhodova.

Shopping Index takes into account the average number of customers per 1 thousand. Sq. m of retail space. In Moscow Watcom estimates about 100 objects, including the shopping center "Mega», Vegas, «Golden Babylon", "Afimoll."

"Either because of the crisis of consumer perceptions decided to do without buying or become more cautious and wait for discounts. We attribute this to the unfavorable economic situation and the anxiety of consumers "- Yulia Zefirova of Sela. Impact on profitability and the fact that retailers have started sales earlier than usual, lamented Zefirova.

According Watcom, traffic in major shopping malls of the capital was reduced to March this year, the last week of June returned to the indicators of 2013, now again went into minus. "Since the beginning of the year was a decrease in traffic, but in our case, in Moscow in August was an increase of 6% compared with 2013 year" - said vice-president of GK "Howard" (shops "Ekonika") Sergey Sarkisov.

The last two years the consumption spurred a fast-growing consumer lending, but in the past - the beginning of this year, growth slowed, recalled Sarkisov. According to the bank, "Home Credit", about 10% of the loans issued in 2013 in the field of sales, had on clothes, 43% - on electronics and appliances.

Russia's largest seller of home appliances and electronics "M." in the past year, about 16% of purchases are sold on credit. At the beginning of 2014 90% of the stores "M." is in a mall, the flow of customers, according to the "VTB Capital", in comparable stores in January-June fell by 6.1%.

"I do not know how long you can last fall, but I do not see the point of rebound: to these conditions in the market as it is necessary to adapt to normal", - concluded Sarkisov.

In July Rosstat marked decline in demand for a range of goods and services, which, according to the agency, due to the fall in real disposable income in June they fell by 2.9% in the first half of the year - 0.2%.

According to the owners of apparel retailers, buyers cut costs because of uncertainty about the sustainability of the Russian ruble. "Clothing - one of the first articles of family expenses, which are starting to save in times of economic crisis," - said RBC network owner Baon (over 130 stores) Ilya Yaroshenko.