Eastern Europe

The high and rising energy prices led some consumers to cook less in 2023 to save costs, with others focusing on shorter cooking times. In addition, many postponed the replacement of food preparation appliances to save money and spend on necessary…

The home laundry appliances landscape recorded an overall retail volume decline in 2023, challenged by inflation and rising price points. Automatic dryers continued to decline in terms of retail volume in 2023. Media in the country were active in…

Juice was one of the hardest hit soft drinks categories following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and it saw only a modest recovery in retail volume terms in 2023. The category lost a tangible share of its key target audience following Russia’s…

Large cooking appliances saw a slight retail volume decline in 2023 due to high and growing price points. Large appliances have higher prices, and as such, consumers postpone their purchasing during a time of rising living costs. With a decline in…

In 2023, meals and soups experienced continued robust retail volume growth, propelled by the solid performance of shelf-stable ready meals and frozen pizza. Despite being the largest category, soups faced a moderate decline due to shifting consumer…

Microwaves gained positive retail volume sales in 2023, driven by several factors. Firstly, these appliances were offered at significantly lower prices when compared to other major appliances, not impacted as significantly by price hikes during the…

Hair care appliances held most of the retail volume share among personal care appliances in 2023, with these products attracting more consumers and recording growth. Significant price increases were seen in beauty salons and for consumers. This led…

There was a slight decline in retail volume sales noted in refrigeration appliances in 2023, with sales of freezers falling. These products significantly consume energy, and with the substantial price increase seen in 2023, most consumers were not…

RTD coffee only started to gain a significant presence in Ukraine during the pandemic but after a bright start the category saw a steep decline in 2022 because of the impact of Russia’s invasion on the supply chain and import issues. Leading retailer…

RTD tea suffered significant losses during 2022 as category was not a priority for either manufacturers or consumers. The supply of these products was limited, while there were out-of-stock situations seen during the high season. There is also a…

In 2023, all sauces, dips, and condiments witnessed positive moderate retail volume growth, except for mayonnaise and mustard, which experienced a moderate decline. This decline can be attributed to various factors, including the impact of health and…

Retail volume sales declined in 2023 due to the rising cost of living and inflation, with many consumers cutting down on purchases of products they felt were unessential, such as small cooking appliances. As such, instead of purchasing new small…

Sales of soft drinks have been significantly impacted by Russia’s war in Ukraine and soaring inflation. Besides the resulting decline in the population and the loss of territories, the market also faces other obstacles including consumers downtrading…

Sports drinks was already a niche even before the pandemic, but what sales did exist registered heavy losses following Russia’s invasion in early 2022. Many men joined the armed forces in response to the invasion and as such were forced to give up…

In 2023, sweet spreads witnessed a moderate decline in retail volume, primarily driven by reduced consumer demand for chocolate spreads and jams and preserves. These categories faced challenges due to the ongoing negative impact of health and…

Cylinder vacuum cleaners remained the largest category among vacuum cleaners in 2023. Most consumers in the country own a powerful cylinder vacuum cleaner at home, with many using them sparingly when wanting to do a complete and thorough cleaning of…

Albania is advancing with its programme to join the European Union (EU), but the large informal economy and endemic problems still hold it back. Annual real GDP growth is expected to slow down over the near term. Albania offers a large labour force,…

With Poland witnessing rising average temperatures, air conditioning devices are becoming more popular. Recent years have seen temperatures reach very high levels, with at least one heat wave sweeping for the country every summer, causing discomfort…

Air treatment products is the winner in 2023, showing the strongest retail volume growth across the consumer appliances categories. This growth is being stimulated by a rising number of heatwaves in the country and increasingly crowded (and hot)…

Coffee is by far the most popular category within hot drinks in Ukraine but the category has seen heavy losses since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Sales plummeted in 2022 as large numbers of consumers fled the country while foodservice sales were…

High inflation continues to cause significant implications for the Polish economy and its consumers in 2023, leading to a decrease in purchasing power as the prices of goods and services increased. Many households are struggling with high costs of…

Inflation remains a key factor for consumer appliances in Romania in 2023, as consumers’ purchasing power continues to be affected by these economic pressures. In this context, volume sales of major appliances remain low, as many consumers are…

Dishwashers is witnessing steady growth in volume terms in 2023, with demand recovering for these appliances year-on-year. The rising penetration of dishwashers can be attributed to various factors, including the convenience and time-saving benefits,…

Dishwashers buck the general category trend of major appliances by achieving decent volume sales in 2023. This is attributed to the category being quite new in Romania, with low penetration. Beko (SC Arctic SA) is the most prominent brand, with…

Food preparation appliances continue to see robust volume growth in 2023, underpinned by the strong emphasis on home cooking. There has been a growing interest in healthy eating among Polish consumers, leading to a stronger emphasis on home-made…

Food preparation appliances are maintaining positive volume sales in 2023, supported by consumers’ focus on healthy diets and lifestyles. Many households remain interested in upgrading their food preparation appliances due to the focus on preparing…

In 2023, home laundry appliances are showing signs of recovery, with a slight increase in retail volume sales. After a notable decline in 2022, consumers have returned to purchasing home laundry appliances. This recovery may be attributed to several…

Sales in home laundry appliances are facing similar challenges to those seen in other major consumer appliances, as such products are regarded as big investments during a time of economic uncertainty, inflationary pressures, and high energy prices.…

Sales of hot drinks were significantly impacted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 with sales plummeting as large numbers of people fled the country in search of safety. With Russia’s war continuing in 2023 the population remained significantly…

Large cooking appliances continue to volume sales decline in 2023 for the second consecutive year, due to several factors. With many consumers having purchased functional and durable large cooking appliances in the pandemic, there was lower levels of…

Large cooking appliances face the same challenges as other major appliances (with the exception of dishwashers), leading to a slump in volume sales. Such big-ticket purchases are regarded as notable investments during a time of economic uncertainty,…

Microwaves is enjoying steady volume growth as household penetration steadily rises. The category received a boost in 2022 following the surge of migrants from Ukraine. This was due to the huge numbers of people crossing the border into eastern…

Sales in microwaves remain in a slump which is expected to deepen further over the coming years. This is largely due to a widely held perception that food prepared in a microwave is unhealthy due to the loss of nutrients. On the other hand, the more…

Chocolate-based flavoured powder drinks was one of the hardest hit categories by Russia's invasion of Ukraine with sales plummeting in 2022. This is due in large part to the fact the key target audience for these products are kids, many of which left…

Personal care appliances witnessed steady retail volume growth in 2023, although demand has weakened slightly year-on-year, due to the high cost of living. The demand for personal care appliances stems from the growing emphasis on self-care and…

Personal care appliances see another year of growth in 2023, following the reopening of society after the previous pandemic restrictions. This led to people returning to workplaces and re-embracing their social lives, thus paying more attention to…

Retail volume sales of refrigeration appliances witnessed further decline in 2023 as consumers grappled with higher costs of living. The purchase of new appliances has been weakened by the slowdown in the housing market, as fewer people moved homes.…

Refrigeration appliances remains in a volume slump in 2023, following the boost to sales seen in the earlier review period, supported by the cocooning and home-renovation trends seen during the era of the pandemic. For example, freezers were popular…

In general terms, small cooking appliances are seeing steady growth trend in retail volume terms, with demand underpinned by the elevated interest in cooking a home that has been seen among the population of Poland since the onset of the COVID-19…

Small cooking appliances are benefitting from the factors which are also stimulating sales in food preparation appliances. Consumers are placing a key focus on healthy diets and lifestyles, thus seek kitchen appliances which help them in this area.…

Like most products, sales of tea suffered heavy losses in 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine which led to a large number of consumers fleeing the country as well as a loss of territories. Sales were also impacted by temporary stock shortages…

Vacuum cleaners witnessed a recovery in 2023, as inflationary conditions eased slightly. Despite the essential status that vacuum cleaners have in virtually all Polish homes, the high inflation that swept across Europe during 2022 put pressure on…

Vacuum cleaners continue to benefit from consumers’ higher standards of health and hygiene, as enhanced by the era of the pandemic. As such, keeping a clean home has become a high priority, supporting both volume and value sales of vacuum cleaners.…

Bottled water in Serbia experienced a volume sales recovery in 2023, driven by the return to pre-pandemic lifestyles, with consumers embracing on-the-go water consumption. Functional bottled water witnessed the fastest volume sales growth, attributed…

As prices rise and disposable incomes decline, Serbians are reassessing their daily purchases, notably reducing consumption of non-essential items like carbonated beverages. Health-conscious consumers are shifting towards healthier alternatives and…

The substantial rise in coffee prices has decelerated the growth of coffee volume sales in Serbia. Notably, only coffee pods have experienced an upward trend, primarily due to an expanding consumer base and relatively lower market maturity. The…

Whilst fresh ground coffee is the dominant choice in Slovenia, instant coffee is gaining popularity from a lower volume base. In 2023, instant coffee mixes are the fastest growing product in the category driven by the convenience trend. Instant…

Powder concentrates persist as a traditional product familiar to many Serbians. The area boasts several robust local players in both liquid and powder concentrates, fuelling further development. The escalating prices and decline in disposable income…

Energy drinks in Serbia have experienced notable volume sales growth, primarily driven by the return to pre-pandemic lifestyles. The busier pace of life further encourages the consumption of energy drinks. Leading players in this market retain their…

In 2023, the consumption of hot drinks in Serbia faced a slowdown due to rising prices and a decline in disposable income. Consumers responded by reducing consumption volumes, shifting towards more affordable brands, opting for private label…