IN DEPTH Russia
Russian tableware sector develops despite challenges
Sanctions imposed on Russia following its war on Ukraine have undoubtedly had an impact on the local market with high-end tabletop struggling to get through via normal channels. While local suppliers are seeing a boost in production, they are facing competition from Chinese manufacturers. Eugene Gerden reports… The Russian tableware sector is steadily developing these days despite ever growing sanctions, pressure and deepening isolation of Russia in the international arena. In contrast to the majority of other sectors in the Russian economy, tableware has been one of the few less affected by sanctions, given the industry and its products have not been included on any sanctions’ lists. Since the beginning of RussiaUkraine war, certain tableware producers suspended supplies of their products to the Russian market. As a rule, such unofficial bans primarily concerned items priced at US$300 per item and above. Historically, the hospitality segment was the main consumer
of tableware in Russia. As its active development is still ongoing in Russia, the demand for tableware – both from the low-priced and high-end segment of the market – remains high. In the latter case, prior to February 24, 2022, the best hotels and restaurants in Moscow and St. Petersburg were among the major customers of such tableware, while the same trend is also observed at present. According to a spokesman of the Russian Restaurants’ Association, despite the existing restrictions, supplies of expensive tableware are still ongoing to Russia, primarily through parallel imports via third-party countries such as Georgia and Turkey. In general, the demand for high-priced
tableware in Russia remains strong, both from private customers and the HoReCa sector. Despite the fact prices for products, supplied via parallel imports, is two to three times higher than their real market value. According to experts at the Russian Restaurants’ Association there is an ever-growing supply of tableware to Russia from China, which in recent years has become one of the major importers to the local market. As a rule, most of the Chinese tableware is positioned for the middle to low-priced segments of the market, coming into competition with local manufacturers. As for domestic producers, in recent years many have announced plans to significantly expand production. In general, Russia has a rich tradition of tableware production (since the period of Eugene Gerden is an international Russian Empire), while freelance writer, who specialises in the USSR was once one covering the global tableware and of the world’s largest furniture sector. He works for several tableware producers. industry titles and can be reached at However, the collapse gerden.eug@gmail.com of the Soviet Union in 1991, and the associated
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40 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL
economic and political crises in Russia led to the almost complete suspension of local tableware production. The industry began to recover at the beginning of 2000s, however, the imposition of sanctions from West for the war in Ukraine put an end to hopes for further growth. However, as the sanctions pressure is tightened, (which inevitably leads to the reduction of foreign supplies) some local producers hope this could provide an impetus for their development in the near future. The Pavlovsk Plant of Artistic Metal Products, one of Russia’s major tableware producers, sees some serious prospects for its growth in the domestic market in the coming years. The company currently produces more than 350 types of various tableware and components and plans to significantly expand its range. As general director of the Pavlovsk plant, Sergei Babushkin says the company began the production of analogues of some imported tableware several years