REUTERS
The range of products in retail chains may shrink.
Founder and President of the Ukrainian Trade Guild (UTG) Vadym Neposedov says import-oriented brands, luxury goods, electronics, and cinemas may be affected most by restrictive measures taken as part of a nationwide coronavirus quarantine.
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"Import-oriented brands will be affected most (due to a significant change in the forex rate) along with expensive and high-end products, electronics, and cinemas (production and release dates have preliminarily been slated for autumn). This means that in one, two, or three months there will be no screening of movies," he told UNIAN on March 25.
According to the expert, retailers marketing essential goods, foodstuffs, hygiene products, cosmetics, household chemicals, baby goods, construction materials, some other groups will overcome the quarantine more or less safely.
Neposedov says it is still too early to predict how many retailers will not survive the crisis, but there will certainly be a reduction in the range of products available in retail chains in Ukraine.
"It is still too difficult to estimate the number of retailers who won't make it (scarce sales in the past four and several subsequent months, with inevitable excess costs to maintain the chains will have their impact), but we will definitely see another reduction in the assortment of the operating chains in Ukraine," he said.
The expert also adds that shopping online is becoming more popular and more senior consumers (aged 50 to 60) are engaged.
At the same time, Neposedov stressed the quarantine might be a definite advantage for national and local producers of dairy and meat foods, clothing, footwear, and accessories.