Ukrainian businesses are once again facing the problem of prolonged blackouts, which create additional inflationary pressure and force them to reconsider prices. After new attacks on the energy system, electricity is turned off for 5-6 hours, and sometimes even up to 9 hours straight. In winter, a stricter regime is predicted - up to 16-20 hours without electricity daily.
Businesses have started switching to generators, but the cost of electricity from them is 4-5 times higher than from the grid. According to co-owner of 'Witch Bar 'Lyssa Hora'' Olesya Ostafieva, this may lead to significant price increases, forcing establishments to limit their menus and operate with minimal equipment.
In the grocery retail sector, there is the most strain due to the constant operation of refrigerators and rising fuel prices. The highest markup due to the use of generators is 4-7%, and for frozen products, it is even higher.
'Small stores are practically 'operating on fuel', spending up to 1200 hryvnias daily on generators with modest turnover. Small entrepreneurs are already forced to raise prices by 5-7%,' notes the owner of the 'Italmarket' chain Yunus Zaynitdinov.
In the manufacturing sector, price increases are expected to be within 1-3%, but experts warn of a possible 'multiplicative effect' that could lead to an overall price increase of up to 20%. The National Bank of Ukraine in its report indicates that power supply interruptions increase production costs and complicate manufacturing processes, which additionally accelerates inflation.
Winter may become the most challenging period for small businesses. Entrepreneurs acknowledge that working without electricity for such an extended duration is a difficult task and are already considering price increases. The question of how many businesses can withstand such pressure and how quickly they will be forced to adjust prices remains open.
Businesses in Ukraine are facing the problem of prolonged blackouts, which force them to reconsider prices and seek alternative sources of electricity. This may lead to price increases on goods and services, as well as a general rise in inflation in the country.