With the arrival of warm weather, an active picnic and outdoor trip season has begun in Latvia, significantly influencing shopping habits in retail. Shoppers are increasingly making spontaneous purchases — on the way to dachas, rural areas, or outdoor recreation spots.
During the picnic season, there is traditionally the highest demand for meat for shashlik and grilling, sausages, marinades, fresh vegetables, chips and other snacks, as well as various sauces, drinks, and water. These categories form the classic basket for summer trips and garden parties.
At the same time, this year there has been a rise in prices in several of these categories. Fresh and marinated meat, seasonal vegetables, and non-alcoholic beverages have particularly increased in price. The price increase has also affected part of the snacks and sauces segment.
Vitaly Roshchin, the commercial director of the LaTS store chain, notes that several factors simultaneously influence price changes. Among the most significant are the rising cost of raw materials, increased labor costs, logistics, and energy resources, as well as traditionally higher demand in the warm season.
However, despite the rising prices, the demand for picnic goods remains high. Shoppers are still actively planning trips and outdoor celebrations while trying to pay closer attention to promotions and special offers.
"We see that this year, shoppers are more carefully evaluating prices and are more frequently looking for promotional items, but this does not significantly change picnic traditions. People still want to spend time outdoors and hold communal meals in nature," emphasizes V. Roshchin.
Retailers also note another trend — people are increasingly organizing spontaneous and small picnics instead of large celebrations. This affects the structure of purchases. While previously large purchases for several days predominated, now smaller sets of products for one evening or a short trip are more commonly bought.
The so-called "on-the-go purchases" are also becoming popular, where everything needed is bought on the way to the vacation spot. In such situations, the availability of nearby stores and the ability to quickly buy everything necessary in one place become important advantages.
An interesting trend is also observed in the culture of visiting friends. People increasingly want to bring not only classic sweets or treats but also practical products for the communal table. There is a growing demand for grilling products, local beverages, seasonal berries and fruits, as well as snacks that can be served immediately for a communal meal.
Retailers note that this change in habits reflects broader changes in consumer behavior — people are thinking more about convenience, time savings, and spontaneous leisure options.
Although the picnic basket is slightly more expensive this year than last, the demand for seasonal goods remains stable. Traders predict that with the onset of warmer weather and the active summer season, interest in grilling products, drinks, and snacks will continue to grow.
At the same time, shoppers are likely to become even more sensitive to promotions and special offers, trying to maintain a balance between the desire to enjoy the summer season and more careful planning of everyday expenses.
SIA "LaTS" was founded in 2007 with the aim of uniting small and medium-sized Latvian food retailers, reducing costs, and increasing competitiveness. Currently, the network unites about 270 companies and has more than 700 physical retail outlets throughout Latvia.
