This past summer, Russia experienced a notable increase in the prices of goods essential for preparing shashlik (barbecue). The analytical center `Check Index` conducted a comprehensive study, comparing the costs of these items from June to August in 2024 and 2025. Their findings reveal that the entire `shashlik set` became significantly more expensive, with shashlik meat alone seeing a 13% price hike compared to the previous summer.
Photo: Lilia Sharlovskaya
The research encompassed sales across wholesale and retail points, including both online and offline purchases. Upon analyzing the `shashlik season` trends, experts confirmed that Russian consumer preferences for meat choices remain consistent: pork, chicken, and lamb continue to be the most popular options for shashlik.
Meat recorded the most substantial price surge. The average cost of ready-to-grill shashlik meat reached 962 rubles, marking a 13% increase from the previous year. Despite this, the volume of ready-made meat purchases experienced a modest 5% decrease.
Similarly, shish kebab skewers saw an 11% price escalation, averaging 403 rubles, while their sales volume dropped by 6%. Barbecue grills also became 11% more expensive, with an average purchase price of 1630 rubles, leading to a more significant 15% reduction in their sales volume.
Prices for essential accessories like charcoal and lighter fluid also showed moderate increases. Charcoal for a single shashlik session averaged 264 rubles (a 4% rise), yet its purchases fell by 6%. Lighter fluid became 2% more expensive, costing 204 rubles, and its sales volume decreased by 13%.
Overall, the average expenditure for a complete `shashlik set,` encompassing all the aforementioned items, rose by 10% this summer, totaling 3463 rubles. While the volume of individual sales for this comprehensive kit decreased by 7% compared to last year, its total monetary value still saw a 4% increase, indicating consumers were paying more for fewer items.
Analysts primarily attribute the observed decline in summer shashlik activity to unfavorable weather conditions throughout the season. Interestingly, they highlighted that an unusually warm spring earlier in the year resulted in a 15% increase in sales compared to the same period last year. A consistent purchasing trend among Russians is their preference for buying ready-made shashlik meat from independent (non-chain) stores, a habit that has remained stable despite the price fluctuations.
