Austria

Closed loop pre-paid card transactions in Austria are essentially merchant-issued gift cards, and demand for these continued to increase in 2023. In a time of persistently high inflation with increased prices of essentials such as food and petrol,…

Store cards remained a niche in Austria in 2023, continuing a downward trend with a double-digit decline in transaction values despite the continuing shift to card payments. Most consumers in Austria are unfamiliar with store cards, and the usage of…

Consumer credit has experienced a significant drop in all areas of gross lending in 2023. In light of the sharp increases in the cost of living since 2022, Austrians have generally been frugal with expenditure. Individuals are focused on meeting…

Loans became more expensive for consumers in 2023, as a result of the European Central Bank's interest rate policy, with rates rising in response to high inflation in the EU since the energy crisis broke out in 2022 and the war in Ukraine began. The…

Retail value sales of coffee continued to grow in 2023, recording positive double-digit results. However, these results were mainly driven by rising inflation and product price increases. As such, while value sales rose, retail volume sales declined,…

Total volume sales of hot drinks recorded minimal growth in 2023, driven by on-trade sales and positive developments within tea and other hot drinks. High saturation levels contributed to a slowdown in growth, especially across retail channels.…

Other hot drinks recorded positive retail volume and value growth in Austria in 2023 despite growing health trends driving more consumers to lower their sugar intake. This was due to indulgence playing a growing role in consumers' everyday lives, a…

Following coffee, tea is the second most popular hot drink in Austria, offering consumers a tasty alternative to coffee. Many also appreciate tea as a hot drink option that can be consumed later in the day, as the product offers various caffeine…

Bottled water recorded positive total volume growth in 2023. However, this was driven by on-trade sales as more consumers shifted back to purchasing and consuming bottled water on the go or at food service outlets, gyms, work and events. Off-trade…

While carbonates total volume sales grew slightly in 2023, this was achieved through on-trade channels, with retail sales facing the consequences of changing consumer behaviours.

With consumers spending less time at home, and experiencing busier, more hectic everyday lives again, the use of concentrates became less frequent in 2023, leading to a decline in off-trade volume sales. However, results were positive for the…

Energy drinks grew further in demand in 2023, with positive off-trade volume sales, while a much more dynamic development was noted in the on-trade channels. Energy drinks were still widely sought after in 2023 to boost energy levels either during…

After the substantial increases in past years, fuelled by the outbreak of COVID-19 and increased time spent in households, retail volume sales of juice recorded a slowdown in 2023. In addition, there was a further shift towards on-trade sales,…

RTD coffee volume sales benefited greatly from consumers spending more time away from home in 2023, increasing demand for on-the-go beverages. Even though RTD coffee is not considered to be a healthier alternative to sugary soft drinks, it enjoys a…

In 2023, consumers were more active and spent increased time away from home, driving demand for products that could be consumed on the go, including RTD tea. The product is a popular alternative to regular carbonates or even water, especially as RTD…

In 2023, soft drinks volume sales witnessed an ongoing recovery following negative results noted during the outbreak of COVID-19. Consumers continued to spend time outside the home, in foodservice outlets and leisure locations, and this behaviour…

COVID-19 boosted consumer's health consciousness and increased attempts to be more proactive about staying healthy and fit. When consumers were able and confident to spend more time away from home, many enhanced exercise routines outdoors and went to…

Air treatment products recorded a decline in retail volume in 2023, driven by a strong decline in air purifiers and coolers. However, sales were positive for air conditioners, including portable room air conditioners and split air conditioners, with…

In 2023, demand for consumer appliances declined for the third consecutive year in Austria. Retail volume sales were still noticeably impacted by the increase in purchases during COVID-19, when consumers invested more in consumer appliances due to…

Demand for dishwashers fell for the third consecutive year in 2023 at a sharp rate compared to previous years. As purchases had been brought forward during COVID-19, when consumers spent more on home appliances due to home seclusion, this led to a…

Demand for food preparation appliances significantly fell in 2023 for the second year in a row. Growth was impacted by the high demand seen during COVID-19 when consumers spent more time cooking at home and investing in food preparation appliances.…

Demand for home laundry appliances fell in 2023 for a second consecutive year. The development in home laundry appliances was in line with the major appliances landscape, while the volume decline was less severe than in dishwashers. Impacting retail…

Demand for large cooking appliances fell in 2023 for the second year in a row. However, due to the essential nature of the products included in the category and the strong dominance of replacement sales, the retail volume drop in large cooking…

Demand for microwaves reached a low level in 2023, having declined for the third consecutive year. Many consumers purchased microwaves during the outbreak of COVID-19, when more meals were eaten in households and demand increased for simple and quick…

Demand for personal care appliances declined for the second year in a row in Austria in 2023. High inflation remained, and the cost of living rose sharply due to the energy crisis triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. As such, the landscape was…

Demand for refrigeration appliances was at a low in 2023, recording a retail volume decline for the third consecutive year. Sales were high during COVID-19, with consumers purchasing refrigeration appliances in line with heightened time spent in the…

Retail volume sales in small cooking appliances continued to decrease significantly in 2023, and demand declined in all subcategories. The particularly high level of purchases made during COVID-19, due to home seclusion, continued to play a role,…

Demand for vacuum cleaners declined for the second year in a row in Austria in 2023, following a peak during the outbreak of COVID-19. Due to consumer spending on their homes being particularly high during COVID-19, demand naturally fell in the…

In 2023, Austria experienced exceptionally high inflation for the second consecutive year, which reduced consumer incomes and dampened spending in almost all areas of consumer foodservice. This inflationary environment led to increased energy,…

Austria experienced exceptionally high inflation once again in 2023, reducing consumer incomes and dampening spending in almost all areas of consumer foodservice. Foodservice operators faced increased costs in energy, materials and labour, which were…

2023 was the first year since the pandemic when consumer foodservice in Austria did not face any access or opening restrictions, which naturally led to an increase in footfall and transactions. However, inflation remained unusually high for the…

Austria experienced exceptionally high inflation once again in 2023, reducing consumer incomes and dampening spending in almost all areas of consumer foodservice. Foodservice operators faced increased energy, materials and labour costs, which were…

As a result of the energy crisis triggered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Austria saw exceptionally high inflation for the second year in a row in 2023. For local consumers, this meant less disposable income and a concomitant reluctance to spend…

Austria experienced exceptionally high inflation once again in 2023, reducing household incomes and dampening spending in almost all areas of consumer foodservice. Foodservice operators faced increased energy, materials and labour costs, which were…

Austria experienced exceptionally high inflation once again in 2023, reducing consumer incomes and dampening spending in almost all areas of consumer foodservice. Foodservice operators faced increased costs in energy, materials and labour, which were…

In 2023, a decline in the amount of time spent at home post-pandemic led to a concomitant reduction in the use of air care products, thereby constraining volume growth in this area. Economic uncertainties and inflation also prompted local consumers…

Post-COVID-19, sales of bleach have been declining in Austria due to growing consumer concerns about its strong chemical composition. During the pandemic, local consumers sought strong cleaners to reduce the risk of infection. Although many consumers…

In 2023, dishwashing saw moderate current growth, mostly driven by hand dishwashing products. Post-pandemic, there has been a decline in volume sales as local consumers spend more time dining out, reduce the number of meals prepared and eaten at home…

In 2023, home care recorded current value growth, primarily driven by price increases attributable to inflation and, in a few instances, premiumisation and innovation. The escalating time constraints of local consumers have fuelled the demand for…

In Austria, the rise in insects attributed to increasing temperatures linked with climate change has led to a significant increase in the demand for insecticide baits in 2023. Hospitality and tourism operators have also sought methods to control…

In 2023, laundry care saw healthy current value growth, primarily driven by the introduction of innovative products, particularly within the categories of laundry detergents and liquid fabric softeners. These products enabled local consumers to wash…

In 2023, polishes saw continued volume decline, having received a boost during the pandemic when local consumers spent more time at home. Due to busy schedules, local consumers have less time available for deep cleaning and polishing their households…

Surface care saw a healthy increase in current value sales in 2023, driven by rising average unit prices, while overall volume sales saw a decline. Despite local consumers maintaining higher standards for hygiene and cleanliness post-pandemic, with…

In 2023, toilet care saw some modest current value growth thanks to inflationary pressures increasing average unit prices. Despite the impact of inflation on unit prices, the focus on toilet care remains significant among Austrian consumers. The…

Although disposable income slowly recovered in 2023 compared to repeatedly high inflation, consumers remained relatively frugal in their spending on apparel and footwear. Many made savings by opting for apparel or footwear and reduced their shopping…

Consumer restraint affected the entire retail market in 2023, but appliances and electronics specialists was one of the categories most negatively affected.

Just like grocery retailers as a whole, convenience retailers saw strong growth in value sales in 2023, although this was almost entirely price driven as inflation remained at unusually high levels for a second consecutive year. Demand itself only…

Just like retail as a whole, direct selling saw significant growth in value sales in 2023, but it was entirely price-driven as inflation remained at unusually high levels for a second consecutive year. Given the focus of direct selling in Austria on…

Just like grocery retailers as a whole, discounters saw strong growth in value sales in 2023, although this was almost entirely price-driven as inflation remained at unusually high levels for a second consecutive year. Demand itself only showed…

General merchandise stores continued to significantly outperform retailing overall in terms of value sales growth due in the main to the continuing expansion and success of variety stores. It was one of the areas least affected by the generally sharp…