Category: Analysis
Detailed analysis of economic events, decisions, and texts — from budget amendments to corporate strategies. No slogans or oversimplification: logic, numbers, and consequences.
AnalysisThe Debt Spiral of Microloans: Why Russians Keep Refinancing and What Changes in 2026
How microloan rules will change in 2026: overpayment capped at 100%, a limit of two high-rate contracts, and a cooling-off period. Why Russians fall into the MFO debt spiral and what the new market regulation will achieve.
AnalysisAvito's 2025 Year in Review: Regulation, Artificial Intelligence, and New Business Opportunities
The platform economy entered a new regulatory reality in 2025. We sat down with Avito's GR Director Dmitry Gavrilenko to discuss how the role of digital platforms in the economy is evolving and which company decisions proved pivotal.
AnalysisSmart Consumption: How 2025 Reshaped Russian Retail
An analysis of Russian retail in 2025: turnover growth to 60 trillion rubles, the shift toward smart consumption, a 9% decline in the electronics market, and corporate strategies for adapting to high key interest rates.
AnalysisTime Isn't Water: What 2025 Held for the Alcohol Industry
How Russia's alcohol industry changed in 2025: a moratorium on spirit producer licenses, beer excise taxes rising to €1.5 per liter, wine industry development, and business challenges. Expert opinions and key events of the year.
AnalysisRussian IT Industry in 2025: A Year in Review. Part Two
Key developments in Russia's IT sector in 2025: AI moving from theory to practice, sanctions pressure, budget cuts, and major achievements. Industry experts from leading companies weigh in on challenges and growth prospects.
AnalysisRussian IT Industry in 2025: Part One
Key developments and challenges facing Russia's IT sector in 2025: the shift toward cost-effective digitalization, budget cuts, and progress in import substitution. Leading IT company experts weigh in on the year's major trends and risks.
AnalysisInsurance Market: 2025 Results
Russia's insurance market grew 15–18% in 2025 to reach 2.7–2.8 trillion rubles. OSAGO reforms, digitalization, cyber insurance, and the industry's main challenge—declining customer trust. Analysis of key trends and forecasts.
AnalysisWhy Some Sellers of Artificial Christmas Trees and Holiday Decorations Are Temporarily Leaving Marketplaces
Sellers of artificial Christmas trees and decorations are abandoning marketplaces ahead of New Year's due to mass returns. How a wave of returns turns revenue into losses and what Wildberries and Ozon are doing to address the problem.
AnalysisRussia in the Crosshairs: How Cybersecurity Became a Macroeconomic Factor
Russia faces 14% of global cyberattacks despite accounting for just 3% of the world economy. We examine the scale of threats, economic damage from ransomware and APT attacks, major business vulnerabilities, and state-level defense measures.
AnalysisThe Beer Paradox: Tariffs Target Imported Beer, but Domestic Brands Get More Expensive
Tariffs on imported beer have risen to €1.5 per liter, yet Russian beer prices have jumped 15%. We examine the paradox: how protectionism drives up consumer prices and why domestic producers aren't lowering their prices.
AnalysisRAM Shortage: Why Prices Are Breaking Records
RAM prices have surged 4.6-fold in six months due to a DRAM shortage. The causes of the crisis, its impact on graphics card and smartphone markets, and expert forecasts through 2028.
AnalysisJewelry Goes Cross-Border: Why Russians Are Switching from Store Windows to Foreign Online Services
Analysis of Russia's jewelry market in 2025: cross-border trade surges fourfold amid slowing offline sales, impact of high credit rates, and a 6% decline in store numbers. Trends and forecasts.