Eastern Europe

High inflation impacted retail e-commerce in Bulgaria in 2023. As such, though retail e-commerce registered high current value growth, constant value sales fell. Consumers cut back on spending on less essential items and this impacted e-commerce.…

Consumer demand for retail adult incontinence remains stable in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with marginal growth in retail volume terms. In response to rising prices, the category has seen strong double-digit retail value growth. Older people are the…

Nappies/diapers/pants in Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of hardest hit categories in tissue and hygiene as it is heavily impacted by the country’s declining population, thus creating a smaller potential consumer base. Low birth rates continue to…

Menstrual care in Bosnia and Herzegovina is a mature category that witnessed volume decline in 2023, due to a shrinking consumer base and declining population. Nonetheless, with the help of rising prices caused by inflation, menstrual care continues…

High inflation and the deteriorating economic situation in the Czech Republic led to weaker volume sales for hypermarkets in 2023. Shoppers were keen to reduce costs and cut back on the number of products they buy, leading to a decrease in volume…

After discounters, hypermarkets were the best performing grocery channel in Bulgaria in 2023 in terms of value growth. With inflation still high, hypermarkets registered a small increase in constant value sales. Recent opening of new outlets also…

After a spike in current value growth in 2022, home products specialists in the Czech Republic saw a noticeable drop in demand for homewares and furniture in 2023. Demand weakened organically following the significant increases seen in 2022, when the…

Home products specialists in Bulgaria registered current value growth in 2023, though constant value sales fell. Inflation was still an issue and impacted profitability. That being said, it was homewares and home furnishing stores that dragged down…

In 2023, health and beauty specialists in the Czech Republic experienced a decline in retail volume sales as price hikes dampened consumption. The largest contributor to category growth were beauty specialists, which continued to see a recovery from…

Despite continuing high inflation, performance for health and beauty specialists in Bulgaria was stable, with constant value sales rising slightly. There was also further opening of outlets. Value sales through pharmacies continued to account for…

General merchandise stores in the Czech Republic, which comprises department stores and variety stores, experienced weaker value growth in 2023. Department stores in Czech Republic continue to lose appeal among locals. As it stands, there are…

Muted performance for general merchandise in 2023

High inflation has led to a much weaker economy in 2023, with the increased costs of living benefiting discounters in the Czech Republic. As household spending tightened, price became the overriding factor when purchasing most household goods. Czechs…

Discounters in Bulgaria were the best performing grocery retailers in 2023. With inflation still being high, consumers were price sensitive and prioritised value for money. As such, discounters registered a moderate increase in constant value sales.…

Direct selling in the Czech Republic experienced a surge in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic when physical outlets were closed. With online retailers still underdeveloped, direct sellers were able to absorb some of the retail needs of Czechs.…

Direct selling registered a fall in current value sales in Bulgaria in 2023. Both high inflation and a shift away from direct selling to e-commerce led to a drop in sales, as e-commerce also provides the convenience of direct delivery. In fact,…

Convenience retailers in the Czech Republic are suffering amid retail price increases as locals are searching for the best value and price when shopping. When it comes to price, convenience retailers are unable to compete with larger retailers and so…

2023 was not a good year for convenience retailers in Bulgaria. With inflation still being high, consumers cut back on spending in convenience retailers, as prices tend to be higher than in other grocery retailers. In addition, there is a degree of…

With minimal additional public investments and moderate business spending on away-from-home tissue and hygiene products in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the category witnessed marginal volume growth in 2023. Significant price increases were also an issue…

HP Tronic Zlin spol sro has consolidated its lead among appliance and electronics specialists in the Czech Republic, after Datart acquired Euronics in 2023. Some Euronics locations have been closed, whilst some have been transferred to Datart, thus…