Eastern Europe

In 2023, baby food achieved another year of solid current value growth, although this was the result of rising unit prices as inflation remained stubbornly high. In retail volume terms, all baby food ranges, with the exception of prepared baby food,…

In 2023, most baby food subcategories continue to show positive growth, both in retail volume and current value terms. Despite the country’s declining birth rate, there is growing demand for specialised baby food among Bulgarian mothers, with mothers…

Baby food is predicted to experience an increase in current value sales in 2023. Nonetheless, a significant portion of this value growth will be influenced by price hikes due to various factors, such as the escalation of energy prices and the ongoing…

Baby food is expected to register a fall in constant value sales, but volume growth will be moderate. Consumers are expected to be highly price sensitive and prioritise value for money, with a degree of trading down as inflation still bites, though…

Baby formula is expected to register constant and current value growth, but volume growth will be minimal. Georgia’s birth rate is falling and this is expected to dampen volume sales, in particular for milk formula and in particular for standard milk…

From October 2022, the government cut national support for milk formulas from 50% to 25%. This resulted in two-three times higher prices, with standard and special milk formulas having seen a rapid price increase during 2023. Many mothers still buy…

Baby food recorded further volume decline in 2023 as the birth rate in Latvia continues to decline. Also, price increases in the category have further weakened demand in 2023, depressing volume sales. Consumers have been preparing more food at home…

During 2023, baby food Lithuania registered moderate positive sales growth in retail volume terms, while value sales increased strongly as a result of inflation and subsequent unit price increases. The main reason for the positive developments in the…

Baby food is witnessing marginal declines in retail volume terms, due to the falling birth rate and negative population trends in Macedonia. The declining numbers of live births to Macedonian women in recent years has limited demand for baby food,…

Poland has been witnessing a continuous decline in its population since 2012, with the number of births in 2022 reaching a post-war low. According to the Central Statistical Office (GUS), in 2022, the number of births was estimated at 305,000, which…

Value growth in baby food is being supported by inflation and, thus, high unit prices in 2023, whereas volume is flat. Unit prices have been pushed up by the rising costs for transport, storage, and distribution logistics, in particular for baby…

Baby food is witnessing robust growth in retail volume and current value terms as consumers return to their pre-pandemic lifestyles. Parents are spending less time at home and therefore have more limited time for cooking children’s meals. At the same…

Retail volume sales of baby food in Slovakia saw a modest contraction in 2023. While the category was fairly resilient to the impact of price increases, due to the fact parents are accustomed to prioritising the health and wellbeing of their…

Milk formula is contracting in volume terms overall due to the declining birth rate and stronger promotion of breastfeeding. Much of the latter has been facilitated by the establishment of a special association that supports breastfeeding. There is…

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…

Baby food suffered heavy losses in 2022 as large numbers of families fled the country following Russia’s invasion. The category’s recovery in 2023 continues to be limited by the significantly smaller consumer base for these products. Besides which,…

Butter and spreads generated robust growth in current value terms during 2023, despite falling demand as unit prices remained high. Butter is increasingly popular in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where it is seen as a healthier alternative to margarine.…

Butter and spreads continue to witness decline in retail volume sales due to price inflation. Butter was among the food categories with the highest price growth in 2022 as players faced soaring costs. Retail prices continued to increase in the first…

Despite the recovery of pre-pandemic lifestyles, with Croatians returning to office workplaces and spending less time at home, margarine sales continue to decrease. In recent years, margarine has been labelled as a less healthy option than butter,…

Butter and spreads is expected to register muted constant value and volume growth in 2023. Economic uncertainty as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the meteoric rise in inflation and tightening monetary policy continue to have an effect,…

Butter expected to register healthy current value growth, but minimal volume growth. 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…

The increased price of baked goods and pastries, combined with the popularity of chef shows on TV and social media, has driven the popularity of baking at home. This is increasing retail volume sales of margarine and the moderate retail volume…

Retail volume sales of butter and spreads are expected to decrease during 2023, reflecting the declining population and the general trend of consuming less bread. Despite its declining average unit price, retail volume sales of the largest category,…

Butter recorded positive retail volume growth in Lithuania during 2023 after retail volume sales in the category fell over the course of 2022 in the face of high average unit price growth. However, falling unit prices in 2023 did mean negative value…

The butter and spreads category is seeing marginal volume decline in 2023 as inflationary pressures continue to take its toll. While margarine and spreads continues to decline in retail volume terms, butter is growing moderately despite the shrinking…

In 2023, the Polish dairy industry experienced increasing production costs leading to extremely high retail prices for butter. This prompted producers to explore various strategies to prevent further price hikes, maintaining consumer affordability.…

Value growth in butter and spreads is being supported by high unit prices, while volume remains in a decline. These factors are in direct correlation, as the skyrocketing prices, driven by inflationary pressures and increases in costs, mean…

In 2023, butter and spreads continue to register strong current value growth, but minimal volume growth. High inflation, amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, is dampening retail volume sales. The slight volume growth is driven mainly by butter, which is…

Retail volume sales of butter began to recover in 2023, following a steep decline in the previous year. The latter was due mainly to rising raw milk and energy prices, which had an impact on production costs, and ultimately, unit prices With high…

Butter and cooking fats are declining in volume terms due to growing health awareness. Considerable publicity in the media is raising awareness about the unhealthy effects of butter and fats. Health experts identified butter as one of the key…

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…

In June 2022 Ukrainian dairy manufacturers were granted duty-free exports to the EU for one year. This was extended for one more year in 2023 as part of ongoing efforts to support Ukraine’s economy while it continues to cope with the impact of…

Despite the demographic challenges present in Bosnia and Herzegovina, consumer demand for cheese remains stable. One reason for the rising consumer interest in cheese is that these products are seen as an economical and nutritious source of protein,…

The consumption of cheese rose marginally in 2023 after two years of decline caused by a shift back towards out-of-home entertaining and travelling in the post-pandemic era. Foodservice sales grew significantly and are exceeding pre-pandemic levels…

Lactose-free varieties have gained popularity at the expense of standard cheese in 2023. While this is partly due to the well-established tendency towards rising health awareness among the population, many consumers have also become more willing to…

After the growth spike seen in the Eastern European cheese market in 2020, as a result of more home cooking due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the 2021 sales increase slowed to 2% in real value terms, with a 3% CAGR expected in the overall…

Cheese is expected to register muted constant value growth, but healthy volume growth in 2023. A significant number of newly-arrived migrants from Ukraine, escaping from the war, is also expected to increase volume sales. However, inflation is…

Butter expected to register healthy current value growth, but minimal volume growth. 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…

Following high double-digit price growth in 2022, the slight price decrease in 2023 positively influenced the retail volume growth of this market. However, cheese remains a product that is considered a non-basic food item by many, and as such, it is…

Volume sales of cheese are experiencing stagnation in 2023 due to its high price, which peaked in 2022 as a result of the rising cost of logistics and energy. Inflation pressure is improving in 2023; however, economic uncertainty prevails. Consumer…

Cheese recorded stagnant retail volume growth in Lithuania during 2023, although value growth was still exceptional in current terms as the impact of high inflation boosted unit prices and value sales significantly, albeit at a slower pace than…

In the face of rising prices, cheese consumption remains stable in retail volume terms as this product range remains a popular item in everyday cuisine. Its versatility is a key reason for such high demand, as it can be used in preparing various…

In response to the rise of competition from plant-based cheeses, dairy cheese producers in Poland are innovating with new flavours and types. Dublin Dairy has introduced 100g slices of Maasdam, a cheese known for its rich, sweet, buttery taste with a…

Cheese is experiencing the cross-category trend of value being supported by high prices, whereas volume is being suppressed by low consumer spending power in the inflationary context. The overall volume declines in cheese are also the consequence of…

The local cheese industry is facing challenges in 2023, as imported products are favoured by retailers. In February 2023, the Serbian government introduced an import duty of 30 dinars per kilogram of cheese to protect domestic production from the…

Retail volume sales of cheese continued to decline in 2023, albeit at a lower rate than the previous year. Growth was hampered by inflationary pressures, which made it harder for Slovak households to afford to consume the product on a daily basis.…

The cheese category is growing in volume and value terms. Inflation is driving the value growth of the category while the functional and health effects provided by consuming cheese are driving the volume growth of the category, where spreadable…

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…

The war has taken its toll on the local economy with disposable income in most households being squeezed. As a result, some price-sensitive consumers are downtrading when it comes to shopping for cheese. For instance, some consumers are shifting to…

The briefing introduces the Cities Households Necessities Spending Index. The index ranks 1,075 cities by household expenditure on non-discretionary items, namely food, housing, and clothing and footwear. This analysis focuses on 160 major cities.…