A joint study by ROIT and RWB, involving 2,622 marketplace users, reveals that 65% of consumers view Chinese goods as a way to fill market gaps rather than as a direct alternative to domestic products. Two-thirds of respondents have purchased from Chinese sellers specifically because the desired items were unavailable domestically.
Electronics, automotive parts, accessories, and hobby supplies are the categories where Russian supply is most limited. Residents of the Far East and St. Petersburg/Leningrad Region report the highest frequency of such situations at 79%, followed by 70% in Moscow and 55% in the North Caucasus.
Service quality remains the primary competitive advantage for Russian sellers. Key factors favoring domestic purchases include faster delivery (44%), convenient returns (29%), standardized sizing (24%), and lower risk of loss (23%). Conversely, 79% of consumers cite long delivery times as the main drawback of cross-border shopping.
Price sensitivity is significant, with 78% of respondents noting that low prices drive purchases from China. However, 57% of consumers would prefer to buy from a Russian seller if a comparable product were available, and 42% are willing to pay up to 50% more for domestic goods to avoid the complexities of international shipping.