The main strategies Russians choose to survive the crisis are to buy cheaper products or fully abandon certain items.
MOSCOW, August 19, 2015. Russian Public Opinion Research Centre presents the information concerning the strategies that Russians choose to survive the crisis.
The Russian consumer behavior has undergone some changes during the crisis. From January till July 2015 the number of those who started to buy cheaper goods and products more than half a year ago has increased from 22% to 32%. A further 21% have been doing so during the last half a year. The share of those who refrain from buying certain things for more than six months has considerably increased (from 21% to 31%); 21% have been doing so during the last half a year.
At the same time, the number of those who started to behave in this manner only a few months ago has decreased (from 20% to 7% and from 23% to 7%, respectively). The share of those who do not restrain themselves from buying anything is the same (40%).
Most of Russians did not accept the anti-crisis strategies. Less than half of Russians started to grow vegetables and fruits, make food preparations (37%), and keep food in store (31%). Some respondents search for a high-paid job and extra income (32%). Twenty-eight percent of Russians spend their savings on everyday needs; 22% get a bank loan; 23% borrow money from friends; 22% get free assistance from relatives. And finally, 10% make foreign currency savings; 5% sell valuable property.
When asked without prompt about things respondents had to abandon due to crisis, the most popular answer was traveling (12%). A further 4% spend less on leisure activities and entertainment. Almost every tenth (8%) saves on food. Russians say that now they have to restrain themselves from buying clothes (2%). Two percent economize on health care. Others had to change their home repairs plans (1%), refused to purchase domestic appliances and electronics (1%) or a car (1%), etc.
The VCIOM opinion poll was conducted July 25-26, 2015; 1600 respondents were interviewed in 130 settlements in 46 regions of Russia. The margin of error does not exceed 3.5%.
Some Russians think that an economic crisis came to Russia, and they started to save up, to borrow money, to do savings, etc. What strategy do you/your family member use? And for how long? (closed-ended question, one answer per each line, %) | ||||||
| I have started to do so a month ago | I have started to do so in recent six months | More than half a year | Never | Don`t know | |
Buy cheaper products and goods | 07.15 | 7 | 21 | 32 | 39 | 1 |
01.15 | 20 | 16 | 22 | 38 | 4 | |
Buy less or refrain from buying certain products, goods, services | 07.15 | 7 | 21 | 31 | 39 | 2 |
01.15 | 23 | 18 | 21 | 34 | 4 | |
Buy products in store | 07.15 | 4 | 10 | 17 | 68 | 1 |
01.15 | 10 | 12 | 17 | 56 | 5 | |
Search for a high-paid job, a second job or run a business | 07.15 | 5 | 10 | 17 | 65 | 2 |
01.15 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 62 | 5 | |
Spending savings on everyday needs | 07.15 | 5 | 11 | 12 | 71 | 2 |
01.15 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 66 | 5 | |
Borrow money from friends and relatives | 07.15 | 3 | 9 | 11 | 76 | 1 |
01.15 | 5 | 8 | 12 | 70 | 5 | |
Taking on a loan, buying goods on credit | 07.15 | 2 | 6 | 14 | 78 | 1 |
01.15 | 3 | 6 | 13 | 74 | 4 | |
Get free assistance from relatives and friends | 07.15 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 77 | 1 |
01.15 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 72 | 5 | |
Grow more vegetables and fruits, to breed poultry, keep more food in store | 07.15 | 3 | 10 | 24 | 62 | 1 |
01.15 | 3 | 8 | 22 | 62 | 5 | |
Save up in foreign currency (US dollar, euro, etc.), pay money into a currency account | 07.15 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 89 | 1 |
01.15 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 82 | 5 | |
Selling property (car, apartment, dacha) and personal property (cloths, books, household goods) | 07.15 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 94 | 1 |
01.15 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 85 | 5 | |
Is there anything you had to abandon due to crisis? Any habits, goods, services? (open-ended question, any number of answers, %, answers mentioned by at least 1% of respondents) | |
| Total respondents |
Travelling | 12 |
Food (“we eat less meat”, “search for cheaper products”, “eating less vegetables, fruits and meat”) | 8 |
Leisure, entertainment (“I go to cinema less often”, “children do not go anywhere”) | 4 |
We have to economize on everything | 3 |
Clothes (“cheaper clothes”, “less cloths bought”, “no new clothes”) | 2 |
Health (“yes; I refused to have expensive surgery”, “I cannot afford sanatorium treatment”) | 2 |
Smoking; I switched to cheaper cigarettes (“cigarettes are expensive”, “Now I smoke less”) | 2 |
We refuses to buy a car | 1 |
Personal care (“cosmetics”, “manicure”, “I do not go to hair studio”) | 1 |
House repairs | 1 |
Refusal to buy new domestic appliances (“I cannot afford a new refrigerator”, “I could not afford a new computer”, “buying electronics”) | 1 |
Economizing on petrol | 1 |
Refusal to buy alcohol, restrictions in the number of items | 1 |
No, nothing has changed | 16 |
Other | 3 |
Don’t know | 50 |
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