Demand for ready-to-cook and pre-prepared products has increased at Metro Cash & Carry due to staff shortages among professional clients and limited cooking time for end consumers amid power outages, ProAgro Group reports.

According to Olena Vdovychenko, CEO of the retail chain, demand from professional customers is growing primarily because of a severe lack of personnel.

“For professional clients, demand for ready-made products is increasing due to a significant shortage of staff. Many young people left the country after men aged 18–24 were allowed to travel abroad. Supporting small and medium-sized businesses is critical, as the HoReCa sector is operating under extremely difficult conditions,” Vdovychenko said.

She added that for end consumers, the shift toward semi-finished products is driven by shorter intervals between power outages, limiting the time available for meal preparation. At the same time, the ultra-fresh category — including meat, fish, vegetables, and fruit — grew by 20% in value terms year-on-year (12% in volume terms).

“Consumer behavior has clearly changed over the past four years. Demand remains rather restrained and focused on essential goods, while non-food categories have seen a significant decline,” Vdovychenko noted.

Metro also recorded growing demand for so-called “psychological anchors”. Sales of salty and sweet snacks increased by 12% in value, coffee sales rose by 30% despite higher prices, and liqueurs jumped by 40%.

Earlier, it was reported that Sol Union is investing UAH 200 million in the construction of a ready-meal production facility in Kyiv region.

Source: Interfax-Ukraine