Austria

A wide range of health and wellness soft drinks categories recorded positive retail volume growth in 2022 as consumers prioritised various health and wellness attributes when purchasing soft drinks. The increased interest in improving one’s diet to…

Animal welfare continues to play an increasingly important role in the grocery shopping decisions of Austrian consumers and this strong focus on animal welfare continues to have a positive impact on demand for health and wellness processed meat.…

Driven by a shift from cash to card payments, boosted by the outbreak of COVID-19 and the continuing recovery of travel, charge cards saw solid growth in transaction and value terms. However, growth was at a slower pace compared to credit and debit…

Driven by a general shift from cash to card payments, which was accelerated by the outbreak of COVID-19, and the continuing travel recovery, credit card transactions saw strong growth in 2023; in both the number of transactions and transition value…

Debit card transactions remained the main driver behind the shift from cash to card payments in 2023. Every bank account holder in Austria owns at least one debit card, which is heavily favoured for payments at the POS, with debit card consumers…

Although cash transactions continued to play a strong role in Austria, a clear shift from cash to card payments continued in 2023. The outbreak of COVID-19 in Austria further accelerated the change, with consumers appreciating the contactless form of…

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…