Ukraine's largest store chain ATB-Market has introduced temporary purchase restrictions limiting customers to six units of essential social goods per person. The company announced the decision on Friday, 28 August, as it works to protect its retail supply network.
ATB-Market stated that it was forced to implement the buying caps following Russian military strikes and a sharp increase in reseller speculation. The retailer noted that resellers were effectively making wholesale purchases inside its retail outlets.
The company said bulk purchasing by speculators critically increased the load on its logistics system. It emphasised that its logistics operations are designed primarily to maintain an uninterrupted supply of fresh food to the general public, including residents in high-risk frontline regions.
Impact of warehouse destruction
In Ukraine, social goods include essential food staples such as bread, flour, sugar, cooking oil, and dairy products. Retail networks often monitor and limit sales of basic items during supply disruptions to prevent panic buying and hoarding.
The retail limits follow extensive damage to commercial storage infrastructure across the country. According to calculations compiled from open sources by news outlet LIGA.net, more than 300,000 square metres of warehouse space were damaged or destroyed in Ukraine over a six-month period.
The reporting noted that logistics operator Nova Poshta, supermarket chain ATB, and confectionery manufacturer Roshen suffered the largest losses measured by destroyed warehouse floor area. Nova Poshta operates nationwide freight delivery networks, while Roshen is one of Ukraine's primary food producers.
National food security and storage losses
Commenting on the destruction of storage facilities, Minister of Agrarian Policy Taras Vysotskyi said Russian forces had destroyed 90 per cent of product storage places across Ukraine. However, the minister added that there is no threat of famine facing the country.
ATB-Market operates as Ukraine's largest supermarket network, managing over 1,000 stores across the nation. The company confirmed that the restriction to six units per customer remains a temporary measure to protect food availability near the front lines.
