Eastern Europe

Processed meat, seafood and alternatives to meat achieved minimal retail volume in 2023, although current value growth remains robust. Consumer demand has slowed down due in part to the country’s negative population growth. Rampant inflation has…

While current retail value sales of processed meat see double-digit growth in 2023, volume decline is attributable to higher unit prices, with the increasing cost of raw meat, animal food, energy and transportation being passed on to the consumer.…

In 2023, processed meat, seafood and alternatives to meat in Latvia is recording a rise in volume sales, despite economic uncertainties and health concerns, particularly regarding smoked meat products. Nonetheless, after a phase of post-pandemic…

Volume sales of processed meat, seafood and alternatives are seeing further decline in 2023 as economic uncertainty is impacting consumers’ consumption patterns in the year. Packaged meat products are not perceived to be essential items, therefore…

Despite demographic challenges, consumer demand for processed meat, seafood and alternatives to meat remains stable in North Macedonia in 2023, and volume sales have recorded a marginal increase in the year. Value sales, meanwhile, have seen…

Chilled processed poultry is witnessing robust volume growth in 2023 due to changing consumer behaviour as inflation remains high. As household budgets are squeezed, Estonians are actively seeking out chilled processed poultry as it is a cheaper…

In spite of continuing high inflation, volume sales are expected to increase slightly and constant value sales are also expected to register a moderate increase. Processed meat continues to account for most volume sales, with chilled processed meat…

Chilled processed meat remains the largest category in both volume and value terms in 2023. Convenience continues to drive category sales as consumers with hectic lifestyles are increasingly looking for ready-to-eat options. However, meat and seafood…

The Polish meat market is undergoing a phase of brand rejuvenation and minor innovations to align with evolving consumer preferences for healthier and more convenient options. Duda, a prominent meat brand, has expanded its poultry range, catering to…

The persistently high inflation in 2023 has significantly diminished the purchasing power of the majority of the population. This financial strain has been further exacerbated by the escalating average shelf prices of processed meat and seafood,…

In 2023, processed meat, as a product area, faced heightened competition from a gradually recovering foodservice industry, despite the weak purchasing power of Slovak households. This shift is driven by the convenience factor and the emergence of…

Czechs continued to reduce their meat consumption in 2023, with a growing number of consumers identifying as flexitarian, vegetarian or vegan. This was tied to the high price of meat, due to the elevated rate of inflation, as well as environmental…

Processed meat, seafood and alternatives to meat reported slightly negative volume growth in 2023, due to the decline in demand for chilled processed red meat and frozen processed red meat and seafood, which are mainly sold in bulk over the counter.…

Processed meat and seafood is witnessing slower volume growth in 2023, compared to previous years, with momentum driven by the recovery of tourism and some stabilization of price hikes. Nonetheless, price increases have had a negative impact on…

In 2023, rice, pasta and noodles continued to see retail volume growth stabilise, as consumer demand normalised in pasta and rice after the fluctuations caused by the pandemic. Nonetheless, with the help of soaring unit prices due to inflation, rice,…

The rice, pasta and noodles category in Bulgaria remained flat in 2023, with only a marginal decline in retail volume sales. Rice continues to be the most significant category, both in value and volume sales, since it has a highly versatile…

Plain noodles are key ingredients in many Asian dishes and are therefore seeing strong demand as this cuisine continues to be popular amongst Croatians. Demand also continues to be supported by noodles’ quick preparation time. In addition, given the…

Chilled pasta is the fastest growing category in 2023, in volume and value terms. Consumers are drawn by the favourable ratio of price and cooking time, as chilled pasta only needs to be heated for a few minutes. This pasta option is popular among…

Dried pasta is seeing steady volume growth in 2023, as it is an important staple food within the Georgian diet. Unit price growth has slowed after the surge witnessed in 2022, when rising costs of grain and flour were a key concern. This moderation…

As is the case across staple foods in Hungary, unit prices in rice, pasta and noodles have continued to rise dramatically in 2023 amidst persistently high inflation resulting from the devaluation of the forint and factors linked to the global…

In 2023, the rice, pasta and noodles market in Latvia is characterised by stability rather than dynamic growth. The category has faced a significant price shock in 2023, with prices rapidly increasing and impeding potential growth. Consequently, a…

Rice, pasta and noodles sales are seeing marginal volume growth in 2023 as the key categories of dried pasta and rice are well received in Lithuania as both main and side dishes. Despite increasing concern about the consumption of carbohydrates…

Rice, pasta and noodles is registering moderate retail volume growth in 2023 thanks to the stable performance of rice and pasta. Retail volume sales of noodles, meanwhile, are recording marginal decline due to reduced demand for plain noodles as…

In 2023, rice, pasta, and noodles in Poland is gravitating towards convenience and innovative formats. This shift is in response to changing consumer preferences that increasingly value quick, easy-to-prepare options alongside nutritional benefits.

The volume growth in the category in 2023 can be attributed to the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, effectively putting an end to stockpiling behaviours during the pandemic. The convenience of easy cooking and the ability to store products for…

Overall, rice, pasta and noodles is expected to register moderate constant value and minimal volume growth in 2023. However, the performance is not uniform across rice, pasta and noodles. While pasta continues to account for most value sales, it is…

In 2023, rice, pasta, and noodles experienced above-average market performance, emerging as key product categories for budget-conscious consumers. The growing presence of flexitarians and vegans in the Slovak population positively impacted sales.…

Instant noodles is the fastest growing category in 2023 due to its convenience and the rising popularity of international cuisine. With increasingly busy lifestyles, consumers are looking for products that are quick and easy to prepare. They are also…

Retail volume sales of rice, pasta and noodles continued to decline in 2023. This was in the context of a high rate of inflation, which impacted the cost of living and caused consumers to rationalise their spending. While foodservice volumes saw…

Pasta registered positive retail volume growth in 2023 as sales rebounded from the double-digit declines recorded in the category over the course of 2022. However, it should be noted that demand for pasta fell at a slower rate than in most other…

In 2023, staple foods witnessed a slightly better performance in volume terms, even though consumer demand is beginning to stagnate in response to the country’s population decline, which is reducing the potential consumer base. Most staple food…

Staple foods continues to witness positive growth in 2023, in current value terms, due to high inflation and elevated retail prices. The consumption of staple foods has slowed, resulting in a slight decrease in retail volume sales for the full year.…

The sharp price growth in staple foods seen in 2022 has moderated in 2023. Retailers are trying to reduce further oscillations by introducing heavy discounts and gradual price changes. Whilst Croatian consumers remain extremely price sensitive due to…

In 2023, demand for staple foods has recovered slightly after several years of decline. Retail volume sales was under pressure for much of the review period, due to surging production costs and rising inflation, which forced prices up. Although…

Staple foods has benefited from the slowdown in retail price inflation in 2023, supporting solid volume growth in 2023. This followed a challenging period in 2022 attributed to geopolitical tensions and macroeconomic challenges, which led to elevated…

Overall retail volume sales of staple foods in Hungary are set to decline for a third consecutive year in 2023, with the contraction projected to be slightly deeper than that recorded in 2022. Demand continues to be depressed by rapidly rising prices…

Staple foods in Latvia in 2023 is enjoying a period of modest recovery, following the significant price inflation of 2022. Although some growth has been observed, it is primarily a rebound from the previous year's downturn. The industry overall…

Staple foods in Lithuania has been less impacted by the economic uncertainty than other packaged food categories in 2023. The price inflation of 2022 due to the rising cost of logistics, raw materials and packaging, slowed significantly in 2023,…

Staple foods in North Macedonia is recording moderate volume growth in 2023 as consumer demand stagnates due to a shrinking consumer base as a result of negative demographic trends in the country. Value sales, meanwhile, are seeing strong…

In 2023, the Polish government implemented new regulations aimed at supporting bakeries and pastry shops amid escalating gas prices. Effective from April 7, these regulations broadened the eligibility criteria for purchasing gas at a regulated price…

In the backdrop of sustained high inflation in Romania in 2023, the resulting high cost of living significantly impacted the retail sales of basic food products, defining the landscape for staple foods during the same year. Analysis of statistics and…

Inflation continues to be high in 2023 and as such though staple foods is expected to register current value growth, both constant value and volume sales are expected to fall marginally. This fall in volume sales is also due to a declining…

In 2023, despite a stabilisation in the unit price growth of staple foods, the purchasing power of Slovaks failed to recover. Factors such as higher interest rates, rising oil prices, and more expensive services continued to significantly limit their…

Retail volume growth is being seen across the board in staple foods in Slovenia in 2023 as demand continues to increase steadily in the year. Processed meat, seafood and alternatives to meat is the fastest growing category in volume terms, with sales…

Retail volume sales of staple foods in the Czech republic suffered a decline in sales in constant value terms in 2023, in the face of the rising cost of living, which curbed consumer spending. The country’s post-pandemic recovery was also derailed by…

The biggest story in staple foods in Ukraine in 2023 was that all sales in all categories were still being significantly impacted by the ongoing war that rages in many parts of the country as well as high inflation due to the collapsing exchange…