In 2023, Ukrainians adapted to the new conditions and once again showed resilience. In particular, there are changes in consumer behavior during the second year of the full-scale invasion. Find out more about what Ukrainians spend their money on and what are their shopping priorities

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During the second year of the great war in Ukraine, consumer activity was gradually restored. In 2023, Ukrainians learned to adapt to the realities of today and developed resilience. For example, the frequency of food purchases has already reached pre-war levels. Also, compared to 2022, purchases in the category of electronics and household appliances grew by 25%, and clothes and shoes by 14%.

How did the consumer behavior of Ukrainians change in the second year of the Great War? The global network of companies "Deloitte", which provides services in the field of auditing, investigated what Ukrainians save money on and what they no longer spare money on.

What did Ukrainians save on in 2023?

In 2023, Ukrainian consumers continued to save. In general, depending on the categories, 41% to 77% of citizens saved money. They save the least on medicines, children's goods and the purchase of ready-made food. Expenditures for the purchase of food products increased by 32%. Also, 47% of people buy food to spare, and 42% buy medicine. The biggest savings are on clothes and shoes, household chemicals, cosmetics and perfumes.

Leisure is also not a priority for many people, 55% of respondents began to visit restaurants and bars much less often. Instead, the popularity of cooking at home is growing (50%). 65% of respondents save on entertainment outside the home, and 58% visit cinemas and concerts less often than last year.

Online shopping and leisure are the main trends of 2023

During 2023, online shopping continued to develop in Ukraine, in particular, the frequency of orders on the Internet increased by 12%. Most often, Ukrainians buy on the Internet:

- electronics and household appliances - 26%;

- cosmetics and perfumery - 19%;

- clothes and shoes - 17%.

Also, 32% of Ukrainians increased their spending on watching TV and streaming channels.

Food, alcoholic beverages, household goods and household chemicals are usually bought in stationary stores.

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Regular donations have become a habit for most Ukrainians

According to experts, 92% of Ukrainians will donate to help the Armed Forces or victims of war, and 33% of people do this systematically. The number of Ukrainians who donate regularly while abroad more than doubled - from 17% to 38%.

They mainly trust the meetings of their acquaintances, friends and colleagues, as well as large charitable foundations, such as "Return Alive", the Serhiy Prytula Foundation, as well as the Lachen (Ihor Lachenkov) meeting. The average size of the donation is 121 hryvnias.

Also, as last year, the absolute majority of consumers (70%) continue to boycott producers who have not left the market of the aggressor country.

What distinguishes Ukrainians from citizens of other countries?

During the research, a comparison was made between the consumer attitudes of Ukrainians with the attitudes of consumers in Germany, Poland, the USA, Canada, South Africa and with the world average.

Ukrainians spend the most among residents of the countries in which the study was conducted on food products and mandatory payments (66% compared to 30% worldwide). In general, Ukraine is the only one among the studied countries where the expenditure on this category exceeds 50%.

Also, Ukrainians spend much less money on goods and services that are not necessary for basic existence, for example:

- Leisure, visiting restaurants and cafes, rest and tourism - Ukrainians spend 2% of their budget on this category, while residents of Germany - 17%, Poland - 15%, USA - 19%, Canada - 15%, South Africa - 17%.

- Electronics, household appliances and household goods: Ukrainians spend 2% of their budget on this category, while residents of Germany – 10%, Poland – 12%, USA – 12%, Canada – 10%, South Africa – 14%.

In such categories as clothing and footwear, health care, and transportation costs, there is no significant difference between Ukrainians and residents of other countries.

So, despite the war, Ukrainians continue to support their lives and their loved ones. Consumers think about their spending, try to use their finances rationally and tip regularly.

We remind you! Since 2022, Ukrainians have spent billions of dollars abroad. The money was spent for both personal and business purposes. Find out what goods and countries Ukrainians spent money on most often here.

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