Eastern Europe

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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,…

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…

The dairy and alternatives category in Bulgaria has been severely impacted by high inflation rates against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and the country’s political crisis. Dairy prices increased enormously in 2022 and continued to grow slightly…

The dairy products and alternatives category is on course to experience limited growth in retail volume and current value sales in 2023. The unstable economic climate is hindering retail volume sales with the increase in fuel prices and the war in…

In 2023, drinking milk products continued to witness negative volume growth, due in part to reduced time spent at home cooking and a falling population. On the other hand, drinking milk products saw positive growth in current value terms, as…

Consumers are paying more attention to the safety and origin of food and drinking milk products, and are looking to support local brands as much as possible. This is especially true as the economy falters. A national food designation scheme entitled…

In 2023, chilled dairy desserts and chilled snacks started to see consumption recover after the previous year’s decline, whilst other categories remain in decline. Current value growth was driven by further inflation and price growth, especially at…

Despite the growing importance of health and wellness, the price hikes, and general economic instability, both coffee whiteners and cream are witnessing healthy growth in 2023. When it comes to coffee drinking in Croatia, tradition always outweighs…

In 2023, plant-based dairy continues to enjoy healthy growth in Bulgaria, both in retail volume and current value terms. Plant-based products were less affected by the previous year’s inflation than the dairy category, as they are generally consumed…

Plant-based milk is gaining popularity in Croatia, as evidenced by the growing percentage of the population now purchasing them. Plant-based milk products are most commonly purchased by higher-income groups living in urban areas. Even though the…

Yoghurt and sour milk products decreased slightly in 2023 as inflation pushed up retail prices and the declining population trend reduced potential consumers. At the same time, current value sales were slightly positive based on higher unit prices,…

As the Croatian population was required to stay at home for extended periods in 2020 and 2021, due to COVID-19 regulations, yoghurt experienced a shift in consumer perception and usage. Historically, yoghurt was mainly considered a convenient…

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,…

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…

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…

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…

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 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,…

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.…

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 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,…

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…

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…

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…

Dairy products and alternatives continues to enjoy strong double-digit growth in current value terms, driven by significant unit price increases across all dairy categories. The inflationary pressure which began back in 2022 continued throughout…

Dairy products and alternatives is expected to register healthy volume and more moderate constant value growth in 2023, despite continuing economic uncertainty as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the meteoric rise in inflation and tightening…

Dairy products and alternatives is expected to register healthy current value growth and more moderate volume growth. Continuing economic uncertainty as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and high inflation is continuing to have an effect and…

With inflation at over 25% in the first quarter of 2023, Hungary experienced the 10th-highest food-related price increase in the world. The high unit price in dairy products and alternatives was bolstered by the international price increase of raw…

A sharp rise in price inflation as a result of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine led to higher costs in energy, logistics, animal feed and key food ingredients in 2022, which translated into significant price increases for dairy and alternatives.…

In 2023, the Polish dairy industry experienced a significant downturn as milk prices steadily declined since January. Dairy corporations reduced purchase prices by an excess of 30-40 grosz per litre, a trend that would persist for most of the year.…

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…