Czech Republic

As a result of inflation, many low- to middle-income Czech consumers have been discouraged from dining at foodservice establishments, leading to a concomitant increase in home cooking. This benefits chilled ready meals and soups, which offer busy…

The global supply chain for edible oils has been heavily disrupted by the ongoing war in Ukraine. This has led to a significant increase in production, packaging, transport, energy, and labour costs, which in turn has led to soaring retail prices for…

Debit cards are generally preferred to credit cards in the Czech Republic. In 2023, debit card transaction growth is being driven by the decline in cash transactions and the growing number of point-of-sale (POS) terminals in retail stores. In 2023,…

Two major forces are shaping the cooking ingredients category in the Czech Republic in 2023: high inflation and population increase due to the arrival of Ukrainian refugees. Within foodservice, prices are increasing, and many Czechs are instead…

Pre-paid cards continued to perform well in 2023, with the number of cards in circulation rising steadily and transaction values registering double-digit growth. Digital solutions are performing well in pre-paid cards with Revolut, for example, using…

Cash remains an important mode of payment in the Czech Republic, especially in rural areas, although modernisation is driving growth in financial cards and payments. The expansion of POS terminals in retail stores is driving financial card…

Debit cards are generally preferred to credit cards in the Czech Republic. In 2023, debit card transaction growth is being driven by the decline in cash transactions and the growing number of point-of-sale (POS) terminals in retail stores. In 2023,…

The cost of living crisis continues to shape consumer lending in 2023. With double-digit inflation still in play, consumers are paying much higher prices for goods and services in the Czech Republic. Card lending is rising as consumers struggle with…

The cost of living crisis remains a pressing issue for Czech consumers in 2023, with higher energy and grocery bills squeezing disposable incomes. People are still struggling to pay their bills and are therefore taking out loans or buying on credit…

The most common type of charge card in the Czech Republic is commercial fleet cards which are offered to top corporate managers. Charge card transactions continued to rise by double-digits in 2023, due to the bounce back in corporate spending, as…

Retail current value sales of womenswear are projected to fall slightly over 2023. However, retail current value sales are set to remain above the 2019 pre-pandemic level, following strong rebounds in 2021 and 2022 from the Coronavirus…

A reported 85% of Zalando e-shop customers engage in sports activities at least once a week. In addition, the Czechs Republic exceeds the European average in the category of sportswear. The most sought-after brands include Nike, adidas, Under Armour,…

The cost of living crisis towards the end of the review period, following on from the economic impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, had a significant effect on retail volume and current value sales of menswear in the Czech Republic. High…

There is a significant level of maturity in jeans in the Czech Republic, with most people owning more than one pair, often a pair for leisure and a smarter pair for socialising or even at work. Premium and super premium brands have been challenged…

A healthy lifestyle, increased levels of exercise (gym and outdoor) and participation in sports and more time spent outdoors boosted sales of functional and technical hosiery in the Czech Republic in 2023. Functional sheer hosiery that is designed to…

Across footwear, sneakers (trainers) and children’s footwear are projected to see the steepest increases in unit prices over 2023, although the demand for sneakers continued to gain traction. Heeled shoes and boots have seen significant increases in…

Childrenswear is expected to see a further, and stronger, decline in retail volume sales and a moderate, but much slower, retail current value increase over 2023. There was some fluctuation or downsizing about the performance of the category overall.…

A recovery in consumer demand in 2022 enabled the fashion industry to rebound, although high inflation, geopolitical challenges and the energy crisis affected the cost of living and consumer behaviour in Q4. Although overall business results were…

The obligation to wear a face mask or respirator was completely lifted, even from places like hospitals and retirement homes, in the Czech Republic in early 2022. Since then, the demand for washable face masks has continued to shrink. Despite the new…

Health and wellness staple foods saw a strong year in terms of value sales growth in 2022, with demand fuelled by a sharp rise in unit prices. Strong sales also came from categories like gluten-free and meat substitutes, as a growing number of Czech…

Health and wellness soft drinks options remained in demand in 2022 in the Czech Republic, with current value growth driven by inflation and product innovation. A gradual shift from retail to on-trade was also visible, as Czech bars and restaurants…

Rising health awareness in the Czech Republic continued to positively impact snacking trends in 2022. Natural ingredients, healthy positioning and product fortification remained in demand. These trends were further supported by new product launches,…

Hot drinks with natural ingredients and low or no added sugar remained popular in the Czech Republic in 2022. Naturally healthy products like tea saw strong growth thanks to the return of the standard flu season in the autumn and winter months of…

Plant-based alternatives to cheese, milk and spreads saw major innovation in 2022, which helped propel healthier dairy (and dairy free) products to new heights. For example, Pan Hrasek, a local brand from Emco spol sro, introduced new line of…

The COVID pandemic underlined the importance of healthier living which positively impacted demand for more natural products. This rising health awareness in the Czech Republic helped boost demand for health and wellness cooking ingredients and meals…

The health and wellness industry continues to grow in importance post-pandemic as consumers become more aware of the negative health impact of processed foods, seeking healthier foods and beverages from a range of claims such as natural, organic,…

Insights and data on the traditional automotive sector and the mobility industry can help businesses examine how changing travel patterns will impact future consumer behaviour. Growing climate pressures and rising urbanisation rates are pushing…

Inflation in the Czech Republic has impacted the results for yoghurt and sour milk products. The increase in prices of raw milk, transportation and energy has caused the prices of final products to rise, which has led to a decline in volume sales –…

With the increased popularity of plant-based products, many people are making these products at home. This trend was mostly visible during the COVID-19 pandemic, when people spent more time in the household; however, the worsening economic situation…

As the situation around COVID-19 began to resolve in 2022, people were returning to work. However, the war in Ukraine caused inflation, with the price of raw milk rising, hampering growth. Since products such as desserts, fromage frais and creams are…

The rising purchase price of milk over 2022, motivated farmers to increase production. This increase was reflected on the consumer's side, with retail milk volume increasing in 2022. This was partly the result of population increase, with almost half…

The price of raw milk in the Czech Republic increased in 2022, with the war in Ukraine impacting prices in the supply chain. However, the price of raw milk began to decline at the beginning of 2023, with a higher level of cattle in the country…

With cheese requiring a significant amount of milk to produce, the increasing prices of raw milk during 2022 caused cheese prices to rise significantly. Production has stayed relatively stable, but the price change caused a noticeable shift in…

Butter consumption in the Czech Republic was challenged following the surge caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This decrease in retail volume continued in 2022, with the significant increase in prices impacting sales, but in 2023, we expect the…

Despite lower birth rates, growth in baby food is positive, with retail volume growth rising, despite the landscape seeing double-digit inflation throughout 2022. The increase in retail volume is aided by parents being back in the office, leading to…

Private label offerings like those of Dr Max, Tesco, Action, Lidl and Benu are steadily growing in popularity in sticking plasters/adhesive bandages. The economic shock of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and high inflationary pressure on prices…

According to the Czech Statistical Office, Czech consumers have gained weight. The body mass index (BMI) rose from 25.2 in 2017 to 26.2 in 2022. For a healthy weight, BMI should reach a maximum of 25. In 2022,18% of women and 21% of men suffered from…

The market size of vitamins is projected to continue to decrease over 2023, following spikes in demand in 2020 and/or 2021. After two years of record-high retail volume sales, the category has lost momentum, which is only logical given heightened…

Healthy lifestyle is the main driver behind the performance of sports nutrition in the Czech Republic. Sports nutrition consumers are more proactive than ever as they feel both positive and negative pressures regarding health and wellbeing. Factors…

Historically, herbal/traditional products account for the vast majority of sleep aids sold in the Czech Republic. Indeed, until slightly prior to the beginning of the review period, herbal/traditional products accounted for all retail sales of sleep…

A significant decrease in the birth rate (per ‘000 population) in 2022 is expected to be followed by a marginal drop over 2023. The demand for assisted reproduction increased by around 15% in 2022, compared to the previous year. However, since this…

The cost of smoking increased substantially in the Czech Republic in 2022, compared to 2021. Alongside rising costs of tobacco products and health concerns, more people are looking to quit the habit. As a result, smoking prevalence among the adult…

Having derived benefits from the search for products offering immunity and general health benefits in the wake of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, dietary supplements, as a whole, including herbal/traditional offerings, are seeing a slowdown in…

A growing number of consumers are developing allergic reactions to outside elements, including pollen and spores, which can cause irritation and discomfort to the eyes. Due to the effects of climate change on the living environment, the Czech…

Digestive remedies received a fillip in 2022 as international travel continued to return to pre-Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic levels. Despite the high inflation rate in the country and globally, Czech consumers and their counterparts in other…

Dietary supplements enjoyed strong retail volume and current value growth in the wake of the Coronavirus COVID-19) pandemic. However, as the threat of the virus eased and related restrictions lifted, the category experienced stabilisation. Consumers…

Dermatologicals is projected to continue to post strong retail current value growth in 2023. Increasing retail value sales have, on the one hand, been influenced by rising unit prices, amid a highly inflationary climate. In addition, hair loss…

In 2022, cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies was marked by increases in demand for products to soothe sore throat and cough complaints. This development was a result of extremely high morbidity throughout the year. In the first half of 2022,…

In 2022, consumer health in the Czech Republic was challenged by medicine shortages, which, to some degree, continued in Q1 2023. The lack of some medicines in the Czech Republic and throughout Europe was caused by the disruption of global supply…

The market witnessed the shortage of some paediatric analgesics towards the end of the review period, causing alarm among parents in the Czech Republic. For example, the shortage of children's fever suppositories (Paralen Sup), which was most…