In 2026, Russians will increasingly choose ready-made food.

In 2026, Russians will increasingly choose ready-made food. The reason is to save time and increase the demand for one—time and ready-made solutions. This is the conclusion reached by analysts of the Dostaevsky ready-to-eat food delivery service, having studied the main trends of the coming 2026.

"The food market is undergoing major changes. And the reason is that urban residents are changing their priorities in order to save time. Previously, eating was associated with a number of family traditions and obligations, but today this role is not the leading one. This turns "cooking for the family" into a less relevant skill for a large part of consumers," the study says.

It explained that there are more and more single households, and loneliness itself is becoming the norm and a distinctive feature of new generations.

"The opportunity to live alone is now more accessible due to the fact that there is no constant need to monitor the fullness of the refrigerator and cook daily. Accordingly, the demand for "one—time" or portion-based food is growing," analysts say.

They also noticed that 2025, compared with 2024, brought an increase in purchases by the categories of "Hot dishes" — by an average of 18.48%, salads — by 56.06%, soups — by 13.75%.

"People are becoming more comfortable ordering mini-combos and single-course meals. Attention is being paid to convenience, speed, and personalized solutions," the analysts explained.

In modern society, especially among residents of megacities and cities with millions, there is an increased increase in the intensity and duration of work, the study says.

"Work and employment come to the fore, leaving almost no time for recreation and hobbies. This leads to consumers trying to find free time by delegating household tasks to services, including in matters of eating. Food is becoming even more "embedded" in work rhythms. Office staff prefer to eat at the workplace between tasks during short breaks," the article says.

Analysts believe that in 2026 there will be an increase in the number of brands expanding their sales channels by integrating into aggregators, developing formats for frozen and chilled cooking, catering, and functional healthy food, and this trend will intensify in the coming years. In their opinion, the drivers of such changes will be the population's focus on economy and the habit of convenience, which has been facilitated by the development of the e-com market since 2020.

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Earlier, on December 18, it was reported that the Federation Council (SF) hosted a presentation of the first industry regulation for quality control of food delivery services to the public, a document developed in accordance with the instructions of the SF, as well as taking into account the methodological recommendations of Rospotrebnadzor.

As noted during the discussion, the market for delivery and ready meals is showing steady growth and is becoming more deeply integrated into the daily lives of citizens.

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