Eastern Europe

2023 marks the final year that the outbreak of COVID-19 impacts results. Product areas that gained sales due to the COVID-19 pandemic are returning to purchasing levels and behaviours seen before 2020. Similarly, those negatively impacted by the…

Consumer health in Latvia continues to recover from the pandemic in 2023, with major categories seeing demand patterns rebalance as lifestyles shift back normality. Economic uncertainty is prevailing with inflation remaining high in 2023, a trend…

Diclofenac and naproxen are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesics used to relieve mild pain. Both categories saw retail current value sales surge in 2022. Retail current value sales are set to continue to grow over 2023 in both categories,…

Analgesics continues to achieve strong value growth in North Macedonia in 2023 as a result of strong consumer demand for systemic analgesics, especially adult ibuprofen, adult acetaminophen and adult aspirin. Topical analgesics are outperforming…

Analgesics is failing to record a strong performance in Lithuania in 2023; following the pandemic years, sales are stagnating, reflecting the saturated market and consumer base. In addition, a growing scepticism and concern about the overreliance on…

Analgesics continues to witness strong current value growth in 2023 as consumers return to normal lifestyles and are exposed to regular seasonal common colds and viruses. A high proportion of analgesics are used to tackle everyday colds and flu…

Wound care is expected to positive current value and volume growth in 2023. The full opening of society, post pandemic, supports volume sales, as people are more active, and as a consequence there are more small injuries. Continuing population growth…

Weight management and wellbeing is expected to register healthy constant value and moderate volume growth in 2023. Meal replacement is expected to register the highest current value growth, as awareness of the product increases. That being said,…

Vitamins are expected to register a decline in volume sales in 2023. The boon from the pandemic is long over and in particular vitamins that claim immune boosting benefits are seeing a significant decline. In fact, volume sales are even lower than…

Sports nutrition is expected to be the star performer in 2023, with double-digit constant value growth. The consumer base is widening and demand for sports nutrition is now not only confined to body building, but also for sports enthusiasts who…

Vitamins continue to be the most popular product within paediatric consumer health in 2023. However, volume sales for vitamins are expected to fall in 2023 as inflation and economic uncertainty leads to consumers cutting back on non-essential…

Herbal/traditional products is expected to register a fall in volume sales, with constant value sales being unchanged. Inflation and economic uncertainty leads to consumers cutting back on non-essential consumer health products. In addition, as…

Digestive remedies is expected to register moderate constant value growth in 2023. Geopolitical tensions in the region have led to a significant increase in the number of immigrants from Ukraine, Russia and Belarus, and this is expected to contribute…

Dietary supplements are expected to register a decline in volume sales in 2023. The boon from the pandemic is long over. Also, inflation and economic uncertainty leads to consumers cutting back on non-essential consumer health products. That being…

Dermatologicals is expected to register moderate constant value growth in 2023. Geopolitical tensions in the region have led to a significant increase in the number of immigrants from Ukraine, Russia and Belarus, and this is expected to contribute to…

Analgesics is expected to register moderate constant value growth in 2023. Though there was widespread severe flu in early 2023, cough and cold remedies are not expected to benefit to a huge degree, as most of these patients were hospitalised or put…

Consumer health is expected to register moderate constant value growth in 2023. Continuing economic uncertainty as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and high inflation is continuing to have an effect and consumers are expected to be highly…

Analgesics is expected to register moderate constant value growth in 2023. High inflation is continuing to have an effect and consumers are expected to be highly price sensitive and prioritise value for money. That being said, inflation is easing in…

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…

With Romanian consumers having returned to more active lifestyles in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, there has been an increased incidence of minor injuries. The greater engagement in physical exercise amongst health conscious consumers and children…

Having experienced a slowdown during the height of the pandemic, wound care showed signs of greater stability in 2023. This was largely attributable to the rollback of stringent pandemic-related restrictions and a gradual decrease in the public's…

2023 is another year of the wound care category returning to its pre-pandemic sales level. Consumers have resumed their usual active lifestyles following the outbreak of COVID-19. Both adults and children have returned to sports, hiking and other…

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…

According to official statistics, 58% of the Romanian adults are overweight. Another significant cause for concern is that, of children aged between 7 and 9 years old, 30% are overweight and around 15-20% are obese. Even though Romania is just below…

The prevalence of obesity has been increasing in Poland in recent years, with around 25% of the adult population estimated to be obese. Indeed, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), life expectancy in Poland…

Weight management products continue to have a low consumer base in Estonia. For many consumers, these products are not top of mind or the first choice for tackling weight loss. Still, category growth was registered as some consumers use these…

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…

In the context of rising consumer health consciousness, many Romanian consumers are coming to perceive their daily habits as unhealthy. For example, many consumers are becoming aware of their irregular eating and inadequate water intake. As they come…

Following a remarkable surge in demand for vitamins during the peak of the pandemic, growth remained fairly modest in retail volume terms in 2023. While vitamins remain a staple in many Polish households, the immense initial demand set a high…

Vitamins recorded strong double-digit growth during the pandemic as consumers purchased products to strengthen their immunity and boost their general health. However, with restrictions lifted and consumers resuming their usual daily activities,…

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…

Within the sports nutrition market in Romania, protein/energy bars remains the largest category. Indeed, its strength is being reinforced by the increasing trend for physical activity amongst urban consumers, many of whom are more exposed to…

Sports nutrition continued its upward trajectory in 2023, with every type of product seeing enhanced growth in retail volume terms. With the COVID-19 crisis having largely abated, consumers began to pay more attention to their health and wellbeing,…

In 2023, sales of sports nutrition are benefiting from consumers leading increasingly healthy lifestyles and rising nutrition education. In addition, sports nutrition products are now very well perceived as the scepticism among the general public…

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 study has found that 16% of the Romanian population experience chronic insomnia, while 30% regularly struggle with insomnia. These percentages indicate a significant portion of the population affected by sleep-related issues and this high…

A high proportion of Polish population suffer from sleep disorders, and this problem intensified during the review period. During the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers were forced to deal with high levels of anxiety and stress, which resulted in many…

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…

Paediatric vitamins and dietary supplements remains the largest area of paediatric consumer health. Romanian parents, following the recommendations of family doctors, are understanding the importance of vitamins to their children’s physical and…

The market for paediatric consumer health showed an improved performance in retail volume terms in 2023. While the COVID-19 outbreak temporarily hindered its progression, it showed signs of a revival during the year, as children spent more time…

Sales of the paediatric consumer health products are seeing solid value growth in 2023, with positive volume growth in most areas, especially paediatric cough, cold and allergy remedies, which are benefiting colds and flus spreading again now that…

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…

A recent study revealed that Romania has one of the highest rates of smoking in Europe, estimated at around 30%. This high smoking rate has a positive impact on the performance of NRT smoking cessation aids, as a significant number of smokers are…

According to Euromonitor statistics, around 30% of the Polish population smoke tobacco, with a higher proportion of smokers found amongst men. While this represents a significant improvement compared to figures from the 1990s, mortality from diseases…

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…

Herbal/traditional products is benefiting from the broad trend towards products containing natural ingredients that is influencing demand across a wide range of consumer goods categories, including packaged food and soft drinks, as well as consumer…

The market for herb-based remedies and supplements is generally correlative with the broader environment of OTC medicines. For many consumers, the primary focus is on addressing health concerns, with product composition being a secondary…

Sales of herbal/traditional products are set to record further growth in 2023 as they continue to benefit from the growing trend towards products with natural ingredients, which consumers believe to be just as effective without as many chemical side…

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…

In Romania, the eye care industry has not seen much change and is mostly controlled by a few big companies. These top brands are well-known and trusted by consumers, thanks to their strong distribution and advertising efforts. There is, therefore, an…