Belgium

Retail in Belgium saw only modest growth in current value terms in 2023. This was mainly due to inflationary pressures, in the light of still rising food prices, which placed a strain on household budgets. With consumers remaining pessimistic about…

Following a steep fall in 2022, volume sales in surface care remained under pressure in 2023. Inflation and the drop in disposable income for Belgian households meant that many consumers were careful about the amount of product they used when…

Volume sales for air care in Belgian continued to fall in 2023, with the category’s products widely regarded as non-essential and thus not included on the shopping list for the many households grappling with tighter spending budgets. Inflationary…

Sales of cat food are expected to register a moderate rise in value terms in 2024. The cat population in Belgium continues to rise albeit at a slower rate than the rate seen in the immediate aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns. However,…

The maturity of oral care in Belgium had a negative impact, with volume sales declining over the review period. Many consumers remained increasingly price-sensitive and cautious with their spending in 2023, further dampening retail volume sales.…

Following on from 2022’s rapid decline, laundry care in Belgium saw an even deeper descent in terms of volume sales in 2023, despite players’ increased investment in offering promotions to bump volume sales, including buy-one-get-one-free, and…

Global warming has been creating environmental changes and conditions that have naturally had a significant and largely positive impact on demand for home insecticides in Belgium - the warmer climate is attracting more mosquitos and exotic insects.…

Despite price increases and the squeeze on consumer budgets, demand for deodorants in Belgium remained steady with only a marginal decline in volume sales in 2023. Moreover, deodorants witnessed a relatively better performance in volume terms than…

In 2023, colour cosmetics in Belgium registered volume sales decline following a buoyant performance in the previous year. Prices rose more significantly in 2023, compared to 2022, resulting in lower consumption levels. Moreover, consumers were…

Hypermarkets in Belgium experienced a flat performance in 2023 with no perceptible growth in current value terms. This was mainly due to competition from discounters and supermarkets which offered consistently lower prices. This became especially…

Retail tissue in Belgium faced significant challenges in 2023, primarily driven by inflationary pressures. While toilet paper, perceived as an essential product, experienced relatively stable demand, other categories such as paper towels and facial…

Despite a slowdown in the Belgian pet population, the pet care industry continues to benefit from an increase in food volume growth and a moderate increase especially of cats and dogs. The population slowdown has been consistent since the aftermath…

Value sales of dog food in Belgium are expected to rise in 2024. Despite inflationary measures, increased prices, and a higher dog abandonment rate than in previous years, the dog population is still growing, albeit at more moderate levels than in…

Depilatories remain at the core of women’s personal care routines in Belgium and are considered an essential product. Despite retail price inflation, volume sales of depilatories remained resilient and did not decrease to the same degree as other…

Vending in Belgium saw a flat performance in current value terms in 2023, as inflationary pressures weighed on household spending. With wallets being squeezed, consumers switched to channels offering better value-for-money. This was in spite of an…

Supermarkets in Belgium recorded modest growth in current value terms in 2023. However, this was mainly due to inflationary pressures, with rising input costs leading to price rises increases across the channel. Such outlets also suffered from…

In 2023, wipes in Belgium faced a decline driven by economic uncertainty, as high inflation deterred consumers who viewed wipes as a discretionary purchase. However, amidst this downturn, eco-friendly wipes, particularly moist toilet paper, witnessed…

The outbreak of COVID-19 and the measures taken to contain it had a positive impact on sales of toilet care in 2020. With consumers working and studying from home they were using the toilet more frequently and thus this boosted demand for toilet…

Home care in Belgium remained under pressure in 2023, with high inflation leading to price hikes and consumers prioritising their spending in order to save money. As a result, many consumers bought and used home care products with much less frequency…

Inflationary pressures have had a major impact on consumer foodservice in Belgium, with the spike in retail prices translating into more expensive dishes and menus, whilst lower consumer purchasing power has stifled demand. Out of home expenditure…

Price rises and the high cost of living in Belgium curbed demand for skin care in 2023. At the same time, trends such as clean beauty and natural beauty remained highly relevant. This resulted in a contraction of volume sales, as consumers purchased…

Inflation remained high in 2023 leading to significant price increases in the fragrance industry and placing further pressure on consumer budgets. This, in turn, led to strong value sales growth of fragrances in 2023, while volume sales of fragrances…

Convenience stores represented the most dynamic category within grocery retailing in Belgium in 2023. While not known for being the cheapest channel, the return of consumers to their busy, pre-pandemic lifestyles provided a boost to sales. As such,…

Sales of polishes had been on a downward trajectory for over a decade when the COVID-19 crisis hit Belgium with many consumers no longer investing in polishes. The category experienced an unexpected turnaround in fortunes in 2020 due to people…

Hair care in Belgium saw further decline in volume sales over 2023, as consumers remained conservative in their expenditure. Energy and heating costs were still high, and many consumers chose to shower less and use less shampoo. Indeed, shampoo is…

Direct selling in Belgium registered a decline in sales in current value terms in 2023. This was mainly due to inflationary pressures, which led consumers to become more conservative with their spending. With a growing focus on value-for-money…

Dishwashing in Belgium is a fairly mature category and not especially susceptible to trends, sustaining stability in terms of volume sales. A previous decline turned to positive growth in 2023, which was somewhat curbed thanks to rising energy costs…

Sales of pet products are expected to record moderate growth in value terms in 2024. Pet products continue to grow in value in Belgium, as inflation has also hit these types of products causing price rises. However, many owners have reduced the…

Following two years of double-digit volume sales growth, sun care in Belgium registered a decline in volume sales. This was not only related to price increases, but also the relatively bad summer in 2023 compared to 2022. The lack of warm weather and…

Discounters in Belgium registered a marked slowdown in growth in current value terms in 2023. This came despite the continued inflationary environment, which meant that value proved to be the most important factor when consumers were doing their…

Menstrual care in Belgium faces challenges amidst high inflation, resulting in a minor decrease in volume sales in 2023. The ageing population contributes to reduced demand for menstrual care products. Furthermore, the exploration of alternative…

Bleach witnessed a remarkable turnaround in fortunes in 2020 with it seen as an affordable and effective home care solution. This dynamism was short lived however with sales tumbling in 2021 and 2022 as restrictions were eased and then lifted, and…

Cannabis in Belgium experienced continued rapid growth in 2023, primarily driven by CBD & other non-intoxicating cannabinoids, with the most popular format being CBD flower, followed by CBD oil (tinctures and sprays). Medical cannabis is also…

Nappies/diapers/pants, as a product area, encountered challenges in 2023, marked by high inflation and diminishing volume sales attributed to a declining birth rate in Belgium. Concurrently, private labels and discounters have been gaining market…

Limited-service restaurants continued to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2023, although value growth was much slower than recent years. This is mainly due to the twin issues of higher food prices and more conservative spending patterns, as…

Small local grocers in Belgium registered only modest growth current value terms in 2023. Moreover, this was largely due to inflationary pressures, with the number of outlets continuing to decline. With players facing rising operating costs, these…

Full-service restaurants remain the most affected foodservice category since the COVID-19 pandemic, with transactions and current value sales in 2023 still well below 2019 levels. Some losses were recouped following a strong rebound in sales during…

In 2023, retail price inflation had a strong impact on bath and shower in Belgium. Volume sales buckled amid weaker demand as consumers faced higher energy and heating costs, with many choosing to shower less frequently. In key categories such as…

Retail adult incontinence in Belgium witnessed robust growth in both volume and value terms in 2023, largely propelled by the ageing population. The demographic shift has positively influenced demand for retail adult incontinence solutions,…

Street stalls/kiosks is traditionally a popular channel in Belgium for offering quick, convenient, and affordable snacks and meal options. However, with a high proportion of independent players, this category has proven to be very fragile since the…

The value sales of other pet food in Belgium are set to rise in 2024. However, the populations of reptiles, birds and fish continue to drop as the cost of housing and looking after these animals has risen over the previous couple of years. The…

Tissue and hygiene in Belgium faced significant challenges in 2023, primarily driven by inflation and soaring energy prices. However, the essential nature of most products in this category mitigated the extent of the decline. The decreasing birth…

Cafés/bars enjoyed positive current value growth in 2023, although this was mainly driven by the recovery from COVID-19 disruption and inflationary-led price increases. Overall, the category saw a decrease in outlets with independents being hardest…

Men’s grooming in Belgium is feeling the pressure of a general shift away from the clean-shaven look and rising demand for sustainable options. Retail volume sales of men's shaving continued its downward trajectory in 2023. The rising cost of living…

Retail e-commerce in Belgium saw a more muted performance in 2023, compared to the previous two years. This was linked to the impact of inflation, with many shoppers preferring to visit physical stores to seek out the best promotions and offers, as…

General merchandise stores in Belgium registered a slight decline in sales in current value terms in 2023, despite ongoing price rises. This was primarily due to the negative performance of department stores, which suffered from competition from…

Following the sharp decline in self-service cafeterias during 2022, the number of outlets increased in 2023. Current value growth also remained strong due to higher prices charged by self-service cafeterias. Nevertheless, this category is facing…

Home products specialists in Belgium saw a stagnant performance in current value terms in 2023. This was mainly due to inflationary pressures, which placed a strain on household budgets. With consumers remaining nervous about the economy, this…

Sports drinks continues to show growth in 2023, driven by an increasing demand that aligns with the rising demand for functional beverages. Sports drinks are being perceived as an alternative to functional drinks, an area still underdeveloped in…

Sales of sleep aids are seeing more stable growth in 2023 after the peaks achieved in 2020-2021 when the pandemic created widespread anxiety and insomnia. Many people had to work from home and home-school their children during times of lockdown and…