Keywords

GEL Classification Codes

1 Introduction

In the conditions of economy’s globalization and growth of territorial competition, development of a region depends on the capabilities to create and develop new structures that allow developing according to the global standards. Dynamic development of the consumer sphere of goods and services is one of the directions of increase of regional economy’s competitiveness which allows solving a wide specter of socio-economic tasks. They include increase of living standards, increase of well-being and employment rate of the population, increase of region’s competitiveness, and increase of innovative activity of socio-economic systems.

Characteristics and qualitative parameters of the regional consumer complex in Russia differ from the Western ones. It could be explained by the fact that Russia has more traditional spheres which ensure transportation and sales of the manufactured products. Besides, differentiation of the Russian regions as to various indicators of socio-economic development is very high [1].

The Central Federal District of the RF is the mode developed and the widest in the sphere of consumption of goods and services. A special role belongs to the transport and logistics, telecommunication, and financial services, which are the basis of the whole economy [2]. Still, they require constant improvement.

Consumer preferences and institutional conditions of the regions are very important for various economic sub-systems of Russia [3].

The influence of public authorities of various levels in the Russia’s economic processes is very high [4].

Based on the documents of strategic planning of the RF and the Central Federal District (CFD), the key external factors of the consumer complex development in regions are the following [7, 8]:

  • high dependence on import of food, raw materials, and components, machines and equipment, and everyday usage products;

  • high level of cooperation between the region’s economy and other subjects of the RF;

The key internal factors of development of the consumer sphere of goods and services in the CFD are the following:

  • the dominating position in the Moscow region (80% of gross regional product of the region);

  • substantial disproportions in the socio-economic development of the District’s region;

  • rates of the consumer market development of Moscow (50% of GRP is created in trade);

  • tourism.

2 Analysis of Development of the Consumer Complex in the CFD of the RF

Let us characterize the structure of the consumer complex in the CFD. At present, the Central Federal District is peculiar for growth of the volume of sold goods and services on the whole and per capita. Still, the indicator “turnover of goods and services per capita” does not fully reflect the real socio-economic phenomena and processes, as the level of population’s income is different for each region.

As of now, the consumer market is peculiar for the large volume of various goods and services. The consumer market of the CFD is determined by the indicators given in Table 1.

Table 1. Turnover of retail, public catering, and paid services for the population of the CFD [9]
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These data show that dynamics of turnover of retail of the CFD is positive. Its structure is in constant development and improvement. This is explained by growing indicators of the share of paid services in the total volume of retail, public catering, and paid services for the population.

Dynamics of development of the consumer complex in the regions of the CFD, which formed in 2011–2015, is peculiar for the positive tendencies (Table 2).

Table 2. Dynamics of development of the consumer sphere of goods and services in the regions of the CFD in 2011–2015.
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According to the statistical data, factual consumption of households grew by 169.3% in 2015; the average money income per capita grew by 165.5%; the average accrued wages of the people employed in economy grew by 171.9%; the average volume of pensions grew by 263.3%.

Besides the number of the population below the poverty line (people with money income below the minimum subsistence level) decreased by 4.3% by 2015; as to the share of the total number of the Russian population – by 0.6 pct.

At that, in “real” value, i.e., in view of inflation, all indicators of the money income of the population reduced over the studied period: for income – by 11.7 pct, for accrued wages – by 14.4 pct, for pensions – by 3.6 pct. This influenced the dynamics of the indicators of formation of the factual final consumption, which sources, according to the official statistics, are expenditures of household and social transfers in the natural form.

Dynamics of the structure of consumption for the directions of consumer expenditures is shown in Table 3.

Table 3. Dynamics of the structure of consumption for the directions of consumer expenditures in the CFD
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Quicker growth of the population’s expenditures for consumption of food products is confirmed not only by structural but also by “per unit” indicators.

It should be noted that the indicators of dynamics of development of retail and turnover per capita slowed down as calculated by compatible prices.

It is known that due to large difference in socio-economic development of the regions of the CFD, retail turnover is differentiated. This is true for the “per unit” indicator of turnover, calculated per capita for the corresponding territory, which varies from RUB 68,416 in 2015 for a resident of Orel Oblast (per year) to RUB 286,952 for a Moscow resident. In view of this, we studied the changes in distribution of the regions of the CFD as to retail turnover per capita for 2011–2015 in Table 4.

Table 4. Dynamics of retail turnover per capita in the CFD for 2011–2015
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The grouping showed that over the five-year period there took place a substantial shift in distribution of regions in the direction of growth of the retail turnover per capita.

This allows for the conclusion on the tendency of leveling of the realized consumer demand, which is reflected by the indicator of turnover of retail per capita. This is a positive aspect – in view of its influence on the formation of consumer behavior.

In the regional distribution of retail turnover per capita, the positive changes in the direction of regions’ shift into the groups with higher intervals of the indicator and leveling of the realized consumer demand took place, confirmed by equal distribution of regions at the end of the research period.

The consumer complex of the CFD is developing very quickly. Wholesale and retail trade accounts for a third part of the gross regional products of the District. In 2011, the crisis phenomena in the economy led to reduction of retail turnover in the CFD by 4.8%. The trade sphere is peculiar for domination of the Moscow region. Retail turnover for the trade networks of the District constitutes 16.8% of the total volume, which shows a significant potential of development of trade networks.

One of the most urgent problems that hinder the development of the consumer complex in the regions of the CFD is insufficiently developed trade infrastructure and low rates and volumes of construction of new trade areas.

The measures of state policy in the sphere of development of the consumer complex should be oriented at increase of accessibility of areas and lands for development of trade and logistical organizations, quick increase of communal generating and distributing capacities, and development of the sphere of telecommunications and electronic payments.

The main mechanisms of development of the consumer complex infrastructure are construction of infrastructural objects, usage of the mechanisms of public-private partnership, provision of various subsidies, and creation of the necessary administrative conditions for the purpose of attracting private capital for development of infrastructural objects.

An important task of development of the consumer sphere of goods and services is reduction of disproportions in development of trade in industrially developed centers of the macro-region and remote communities, where the material and technical basis of trade companies is ineffective and old – both morally and physically.

At the regional level, for the purpose of development of the consumer sector, it is possible to use the mechanism of formation of sectorial and inter-sectorial clusters [5].

Analysis of the state and problems of the consumer complex allows determining a range of top-priority directions for further development of the consumer sphere of goods and services at the meso-level. They include:

  1. (1)

    scientific substantiation of the territorial organizations of the consumer complex in view of peculiarities of settlement and social structure of population;

  2. (2)

    development of the marketing studies aimed at the issue of the population’s demand for goods and services;

  3. (3)

    improvement of the structure of services by means of increase of the share of educational, medical, financial, information, service, and tourist & recreational services;

  4. (4)

    development in the production sphere of consumer goods and services of small entrepreneurship and medium business, including attraction of foreign capital (creation of joint companies);

  5. (5)

    active search for source of financing and development of the economic mechanisms for stimulating entrepreneurial activities, aimed at fuller satisfaction of the population’s demand for goods and services;

  6. (6)

    strengthening of the material and technical basis of industrial companies by means of restoration of the main funds and implementation of the world-level progressive technologies, which will allow diversifying the assortment and improving the quality of their products;

  7. (7)

    implementing the achievement of the scientific and technical revolution into the consumer sphere, including communications means and information technologies – which will influence positively the development of the consumer complex and increase of the quality of goods and services for the population.

3 Conclusions

The Russian and foreign experience of functioning of the regional consumer complexes confirms the necessity for interaction between the public and local authorities and the key participants of the consumer sphere of goods and services. This aspect positively influences the processes of consolidation of the efforts of the state and business structures for increase of the region’s competitiveness in the consumer sphere.

For development of the regional consumer complex, it is necessary to take into account advantages of the specific region, which will allow attracting investments. Besides, active development of the consumer sphere of goods and services requires state regulation and support in the form of provision of subsidies and state guarantees. Implementation of cluster project in the consumer complex may become a multiplier for development of the region’s economy.

Bases on the monitoring of development of the consumer sphere of goods and services, it is possible to conclude that the situation in the consumer market is viewed as positive, and the forecast for its development is positive as well. However, public authorities and the entrepreneurial community have to show clear actions for solving the most topical problems of the consumer complex.