Laura Nakoryakova, partner at the Gaidar Institute's Center for Evidence-Based Expertise (CEBE), commented for Vedomosti on research data revealing the financial performance and plans of owners of order pickup points (OPP).
The expert notes that, despite relatively low current revenues, entrepreneurs are optimistic and plan to expand their businesses.
The CEBE’s study – The Regulation of Marketplaces: Russian and International Experience –carried out in August 2024, included over 1,000 interviews with OPP owners and the same number with marketplace sellers. According to the study's findings, the annual revenues of almost half (42%) of order pickup point owners fell below Rb500,000, while the national average was equal to Rb900,000.
At the same time, as Laura Nakoryakova notes, "most current OPP owners (over 50%) are planning to open one or two more OPPs in the coming year." The expert predicts that "the average number per owner in 2025 is likely to exceed three OPPs."
Laura Nakoryakova is certain that this trend has growth potential. "Certainly, this trend has a 'saturation threshold,' but while platforms are expanding into new geographies and consolidating their presence in the overall retail market, the growth ceiling has not been reached yet," Laura Nakoryakova says.
The CEBE analysis has also revealed that OPP business is not necessarily the only one source of income for entrepreneurs. "Furthermore, a considerable portion of these entrepreneurs either have other sources of income (50%) or run alongside another business (8 out of 10 OPP owners)," added Laura Nakoryakova.
Despite OPP’s modest current performance, CEBE experts predict positive dynamics: the average revenues of a single OPP are highly likely to exceed Rb1.5 mn per year in 2025.