Eastern Europe

Hot drinks in Slovenia enjoyed steady volume growth in 2023, despite the upward pressure on prices as inflation remained above normal levels. Coffee is the not only the largest category in hot drinks, but it is experiencing a surge in popularity in…

Juice, deemed non-essential, witnessed a decline in consumption in 2023, influenced by soaring prices and a decrease in disposable income within Serbia. Economically conscious consumers reduced juice consumption or migrated towards more affordable…

The return of consumers to pre-pandemic lifestyles has triggered intensified competition with on-trade establishments. With consumers spending more time outside their homes and seeking on-the-go options, on-trade sales are experiencing slower growth…

Other hot drinks witnessed steady volume growth in 2023, which mainly consists of chocolate-based flavoured powder drinks for children. However, in recent years, category players have been making efforts within chocolate-based flavoured powder drinks…

High inflation and a decline in disposable income hinder the further growth of RTD coffee in 2023. Despite this, RTD coffee maintains volume sales due to its growth potential in an unsaturated category. Key players like Nescafé face intensified…

Ready-to-drink (RTD) tea faces challenges due to soaring prices and a decline in disposable income among Serbians in 2023. As consumers prioritise spending on essentials, the demand for RTD tea diminishes. Consequently, producers of RTD tea curtail…

Soft drinks in Serbia faced significant challenges in 2023 due to a decline in disposable income. The economic downturn prompted Serbians to reassess their purchasing habits, focusing primarily on essential products. With price sensitivity on the…

Sports drinks in Serbia witnessed a notable increase in volume sales attributed primarily to the expanding consumer base. The awareness surrounding sports drinks continues to grow, with a broader spectrum of Serbians, not just athletes, becoming more…

The escalation in prices coupled with a decline in disposable income has adversely affected the sales of tea in 2023 within Serbia. Additionally, as consumers gravitate towards a return to their pre-pandemic lifestyles, spending more time outside…

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, health awareness among consumers has heightened in Slovenia. This has driven growth in the tea landscape in Slovenia, with green tea, and herbal teas, being fast-developing area. Continuing this trend, in 2023,…

Functional bottled water registered by far the highest retail volume growth in 2023. A still small sales base and increasing demand drove the performance of functional bottled water at the end of the review period, while leaving room for further…

Despite a return to on-the-go consumption following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, off-trade volume sales of bottled water declined in 2023. Economic uncertainty is heavily impacting sales, while the outbreak of COVID-19 negatively impacted…

The bottled water category continues to grow in 2023, with demand patterns normalising after the fluctuations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. On-trade volumes have surpassed pre-pandemic levels as this channel is back to operating normally…

Reduced sugar cola carbonates demonstrated the fastest retail volume growth in 2023. As more consumers become health-conscious and aware of the potential negative effects of excessive sugar consumption, there is a growing demand for healthier…

Off-trade volume sales stagnated in carbonates in Latvia in 2023, with a slight decline noted in retail volume as sales were challenged by rising inflation and increased price points. This led many consumers to reduce their spending on…

Carbonates is growing steadily in volume terms and is the best performing category, as reduced-sugar products gain ground due to healthier lifestyles. Consumers are now more aware of the negative health effects of sugar and are seeking to lower their…

The powder format continued to register the fastest off-trade volume and current value growth in concentrates in 2023. The popularity of powder concentrates stems from their cost-effectiveness, portability, ease of preparation and long shelf life.…

Off-trade sales declined in 2023, with concentrates being a relatively small category in Latvia, which registered minimal growth over the review period. While its performance was positive in 2020, with people spending more time at home, sales began…

Concentrates is enjoying solid growth in 2023, fuelled mostly by flavour innovations which are driving consumer interest in concentrates. Consumers have become more attracted to concentrates as they present good value for money in the persisting…

In 2023, energy drinks saw strong increases in on- and off-trade volume and current value growth. In the retail channel, double-digit volume growth was tied to the robustness of remote work set-ups, which could blur the line between work and personal…

Energy drinks continued recording positive off-trade volume growth in 2023, with double-digit growth for the second year. Energy drinks registered strong growth over the review period and survived the onset of COVID-19 unscathed, with healthy retail…

Energy drinks continues to witness solid volume growth in 2023, fuelled by hectic lifestyles and consumers looking for beverages that provide a quick and effective energy boost. Rising health awareness and participation in sports activities is also…

Juice is increasingly seen as an unhealthy, sugary drink by consumers in Estonia. During the review period the category was impacted negatively as more and more consumers became aware of the high sugar content in packaged juice products. This trend…

Off-trade volume sales declined in 2023, challenged by rising price points and the growing health awareness in the country. While many consider juice a healthy product, a rising number of consumers are avoiding juice to reduce their sugar intake.…

100% juice is the fastest growing subcategory in juices, despite rising retail prices. These drinks are perceived as being healthier than most juices as they normally do not contain added preservatives or artificial ingredients. Consumers are keen to…

Off-trade volume sales recorded double-digit growth in 2022, however, much of this is due to the product growing from a small base. As such, actual product sales and values remain low, with ongoing potential for growth.

RTD coffee is growing steadily in Slovenia fuelled by the convenience trend and the rising popularity of on-the-go beverages. Slovenia’s coffee culture is also a driving force with consumers also shifting towards instant coffee and the use of coffee…

Reduced sugar still RTD tea continued to post the fastest off-trade volume and current value growth in 2023. This trend mirrored the changes in consumer preferences, as more individuals looked for healthier beverages as part of wider healthier…

RTD tea is not considered an essential item in Latvia, and as such, during economic uncertainty, RTD tea is often cut from consumers' budgets. RTD tea is mainly consumed on the go, and the outbreak of COVID-19 and lockdowns proved negative for retail…

In 2023, RTD teas saw growth in both retail volume and current value terms. Sophisticated flavour combinations are contributing to the growth of the category, with consumers seeking out special teas, including exotic flavours like passion fruit from…

Energy drinks, led by the reduced sugar format, posted double-digit off-trade volume growth in 2023, while most other categories saw moderates increases. The exceptions were RTD tea and juice, which registered small decreases in retail volume sales…

Due to rising inflation and economic uncertainty in Latvia, off-trade volume sales of soft drinks declined in 2023. With rising prices, disposable incomes were reduced, leading many to adapt their buying habits, reducing purchases of non-essential…

Soft drinks witnessed steady volume growth in 2023 with progress reported in both the off-trade and on-trade. Horeca establishments are now trading as normal in Slovenia and this is enabling on-trade volume sales to make a further recovery with…

In 2023, albeit from a relatively low base, sports drinks in Estonia experienced healthy growth in retail volume terms and fast growth in retail current value terms. The development and growth of the category was primarily driven by the increasing…

Sales of sports drinks in Latvia grew well for the second consecutive year in a row, with off-trade volume sales recording positive growth. Sports drinks are an emerging category in Latvia, and the health and wellness trend is bolstering sales as…

The sport drinks category is growing well in Slovenia, due to the growing importance of sports and fitness activities in Slovenia. Many individuals are now focused on being active while being more educated on the benefits that sports drinks offer.…

Fresh coffee recorded the fastest volume and value growth in 2023 due to the rising demand for natural products. As coffee is the most popular hot drink in Estonia and thanks to the growing emphasis on healthy living, Estonians are willing to pay…

Retail volume sales of coffee saw a stagnant performance in 2023, as the high cost of living affected consumer purchasing behaviour. Forced to spend more on utilities and food, Latvians shifted away towards more affordable products. The market also…

Retail volume sales of coffee in Lithuania declined in 2023 for the third consecutive year. While the landscape is saturated, economic uncertainty hindered volume sales, as rising price sensitivity and ongoing inflation reduced disposable incomes. In…

In 2023, coffee achieved very strong off-trade value growth. Whilst retail volume growth was moderate, significant unit price increases across all coffee categories, including the largest ones such as standard fresh ground coffee, led to a…

Hot drinks in Estonia increased in both value and volume terms in 2023 due to the growing emphasis on healthy living, which has encouraged consumers to opt for beverages that not only satisfy their thirst but also contribute to their overall…

Retail volume sales of hot drinks in Latvia saw a static performance in 2023, as the high rate of inflation weighed heavily on consumer spending. With consumers forced to spend more on utilities and food, they shifted away from premium brands and…

In 2023, while retail value growth was positive in hot drinks, boosted by high price points, retail volume declined for the third consecutive year. Economic uncertainty continued to shape purchasing decisions, with consumers readjusting their budgets…

Hot drinks achieved minimal retail volume growth and strong retail value growth in 2023 amidst rising unit prices and the broader impact of inflation. The recovery of hot drinks sales through foodservice continued during the year and the channel…

Other plant-based hot drinks showed the fastest volume and value growth in other drinks in 2023. As more Estonians adopt vegetarian, vegan, or plant-based diets due to environmental concerns or dairy allergy/intolerance, the demand for alternatives…

Other hot drinks retained a relatively niche presence in Lativa in 2023, with little interest on the part of consumers and retailers. Other plant-based hot drinks led retail volume and value sales, due to the popularity of barley-and chicory-based…

Other hot drinks registered positive retail volume growth in 2023, unlike tea and coffee. After a small decline in 2020, demand for other hot drinks has recovered, with positive volume growth recorded from 2021. Children returning to school has…

Other hot drinks recovered moderately in retail volume terms in 2023, having seen a continuous decline in the COVID-19 crisis and during the immediate post-pandemic period. The impact of the high rate of inflation was felt on the unit prices in the…

Black tea recorded the fastest value growth in 2023 due to the rising popularity of premium and speciality black teas. Consumers are willing to pay a premium for high-quality black teas sourced from specific regions, with unique flavours, such as the…

Tea edged towards stagnation in retail volume terms in 2023, in contrast to its more dynamic performance earlier in the review period. In general, Latvia is a coffee consuming country, meaning that tea has more of a niche presence. In addition, there…