Artur Karpovich, minister of antimonopoly regulation and trade, said the main reason for problems with the share of Belarusian goods in retail trade is “the mindset of our people.” He made the statement in an interview with Belarusian television. In his view, Belarusians should choose domestic products for their quality rather than for a “label,” and if problems arise they should advise manufacturers how to fix them.
“Well, the main reason I would name is the mindset of our people. This is a deep issue. It is about educating our younger generation, our children and young people, who often give preference to well-known global brands without thinking that sometimes it might be a fake. They chase fashion, but what really matters is the quality of the product. Quality, accessibility, price — it doesn’t matter what kind of badge or label it has. The main thing is that it is convenient, high-quality and durable. So that when a person buys shoes from a Belarusian manufacturer, next time they come again and buy from the same manufacturer or another one, trusting them and knowing they will wear them for three, five or seven years,” he said.
According to Belstat data, the share of Belarusian goods in retail turnover declined in 2025. It amounted to 54.4%, which is 2 percentage points lower than in 2024. The share of Belarusian goods in food sales was 75.7%, down by 0.6 percentage points compared with the results of 2024. In non-food retail turnover, the share of Belarusian-made goods was 34.9%, a decline of 2.4 percentage points.
“From my own experience I understand that Belarusian products are truly of good quality, and I encourage everyone to support them not because it is my job, but because it is actually true. You know we introduced the slogan ‘Every Friday — our own, domestic!’ and apply it everywhere. We are actively carrying out this campaign. Government bodies have joined it. Now we want to launch social advertising with children on this topic. So I would call it education of our people to value what is their own.
And everything else follows from this. When people understand that the ruble they spend here remains in the country and does not go anywhere else, but goes to their parents, relatives, schools, kindergartens, or pensions for their parents, then the attitude changes. And if a person uses Belarusian products and sees shortcomings, they should tell our manufacturer what needs to be done to eliminate them so that no one else encounters the same problem next time,” Karpovich added.
