Characterisation of local food markets in municipalities of the Sverdlovsk region

The paper characterises the local consumer markets of food products in municipalities of the Sverdlovsk Oblast. By applying the author’s methodological approach, the author assesses municipal local markets, uses the calculated integral indices to build their rating, and performs clustering, through which eight groups of municipalities are obtained, differing in the level of food availability to the population and the development of multi-format trade infrastructure. Based on the obtained data, the main trends in the development of the consumer market of food products in the region were identified, the key problem of which is a significant differentiation of municipalities in terms of food availability. The obtained objective picture of the development of multi-format trade infrastructure of local food markets can be used as a basis for the formation of a matrix of formats, taking into account the actual existing parameters of local markets, socio-economic characteristics of the population, as well as the interests of the territory.